A Full Circle
by Lady Momo
Summary: Years after his desertion, Haruno Sakura realizes that she and Uchiha Sasuke never did have an ending. But on a stormy, rainy night, as she hangs on the verge of death, she realizes that they never had a beginning either.
1. Then Came You

Hello, everyone. I actually have this story posted on another site because of its not-for-children content but after reading several stories on this site , I've come to the decision that _A Full Circle_ isn't _that _over the top. Even so, please heed the fact that this is labeled 'M' for a reason.

**Title: A Full Circle**

**Summary: Years after his desertion, Haruno Sakura realizes that she and Uchiha Sasuke never did have an ending. But on a stormy, rainy night, as she hangs on the verge of death, she realizes that they never had a beginning either.**

**Pairing: Sasuke/Sakura**

**Warning: Extreme Sexual Content, Language**

**Disclaimer: I do not own, nor will I ever own, _Naruto _and its amazingly complex characters  
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**Read, enjoy and review!  
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**Chapter 1: Then Came You**

_Stupid, stupid, stupid_.

The word echoed through her head repeatedly as Haruno Sakura huddled underneath the tree, wrapping her arms tightly around herself to stave off the cold from the rain. It was a futile effort. The water drenched through her clothes, seeping into her skin. Her shoulders trembled uncontrollably and she wondered how long it would be before she gave into the cold.

She gingerly touched the recently healed wound at her side, which throbbed painfully. Kami, she had been so stupid! Poison was her specialty—_how_ had she not been aware of the dangerous substance running through her veins? She had healed the damage inflicted by an enemy nin, but she had been so arrogantly foolish enough to not give herself a thorough check-up, believing it had been nothing more than a flesh wound. Hadn't she scolded so many of her staff members and patients for doing the same? How many deaths had been caused by such a mistake?

She feebly tried to conjure chakra, but it was useless. Whatever the poison coating kunai had been, it reacted slowly, no doubt designed to catch one's opponent off-guard. It killed a person's chakra one cell at a time, so silently that it didn't bring any attention to itself—until it was too late. If she hadn't been the victim, Sakura would have applauded the enemy nin for their ingenuity.

_So this is how I end,_ she thought miserably, allowing the tears to leek from the corners of her eyes, mixing with the rainwater slicking her cheeks. Huh. She had always thought she'd go out with a bang, not quietly and alone in the middle of a bloody damp forest.

She had known, from the very first day she'd been declared a kunoichi, that she would always be toying with death. Despite this, she wasn't ready to die. There were so many things she had yet to do, so many dreams unfulfilled. She wanted just one more day to laugh with her friends, to embrace her parents, to _live_.

She dimly wondered if anyone would find her. Would there even be anything left to find? She was stranded in the middle of off-beaten track, unable to move. Would her body have rot by the time the search party found her? Or would the wild animals have already tore into her body by then?

Faces of those she loved swirled in front of her, and if she had more energy, she would have screamed from the unfairness of it all. She had never been a religious person, but right now she found herself praying to every god she ever heard of. She asked for one more chance and if she didn't get that, she begged forgiveness for every sin she had done, for every person she had killed, for every child she had taken from a mother. She prayed for her friends' happiness, for the strength they would need to move on.

For the strength she would need to face this.

Briefly, the image of a beautiful young boy, lost to her so many years ago, crossed her mind. She wasn't surprised. Physically, he had left her a long time ago, but he'd always occupied a corner of her soul. The corner that was filled with a young girl's innocent hopes and dreams of love and family. She had not owned him, but he certainly owned a part of her. He was her biggest regret—and her greatest fantasy.

She could feel the chakra depleting from her body. She was already beyond the point of pain and numbness had taken over. She could feel the poison swimming within her system, destroying everything in its path.

_If only . . ._

Darkness was overwhelming her. There was a roaring in her ears and she wasn't sure if it were from the storm. Her lids grew heavier and heavier, defeating her weak attempts to stay awake.

The arms that had been wrapping her torso tightly finally loosened.

* * *

The tall, dark figure was a blur as he slipped between the trees, unimpeded by the heavy rain pouring down on him. A small frown crossed his handsome features as his red eyes scanned the forestation one more time, searching for the owner of the weakening chakra.

He should have been unaffected. His house positioned where it was, he felt numerous of presence running through the area daily, but none had been so close—or stayed too long. Aside from his house, the area was not ideal for encampment and he had set enough traps in the vicinity of his residence to warn both him and any unsuspecting visitors to stay away.

But the presence of the chakra he'd felt earlier tonight had bothered him. It undoubtedly belonged to a shinobi. While it was weak—and getting weaker by the second—his life had taught him enough to never underestimate an opponent. He had long ago decided on a quiet life, alone and undisturbed. But ghosts from the past had a way of upsetting the balance he'd made for himself. Instincts were something that could never be thrown away—and his instincts had always taught him to strike before he was struck.

The unknown chakra dropped again considerably. Whoever the person was, they were too close for comfort. And there was something about this particular chakra that felt familiar enough to jar the warning bells inside his head.

He knew he was drawing nearer by the way his senses tingled. His feet barely touched the ground as he increased his speed, blinking the water away from his eyes. _There!_

He finally saw the figure sitting beneath the large tree, pressed so deeply against the trunk it was barely discernible. From the small stature, he guessed it was a female. And she was unconscious.

Her comatose state didn't make him drop his guard. Kunai drawn in one hand, he approached her cautiously, careful to mask his own chakra. His gaze studied her carefully. The rain soaked her huddled form, but his eyes allowed him to see her clearly.

Wary red-tinted orbs widened slightly as they fell on her hair. Despite the fact that the water darkened them, there was no mistaking the shade of the long locks.

_Pink_.

It had been nearly eight years since he last saw that color of hair, but he didn't doubt his eyes. There was only one person in the world he knew who had pink hair.

Unexpectedly, his heart started to pound. For the first time in a long while, Uchiha Sasuke stood in front of Haruno Sakura without any intent to hurt or kill.

And uncharacteristically, he didn't know what the hell to do.

* * *

For a fleeting second, Sasuke considered leaving her there. A quick observation with his Sharingan told him that her chakra reserves were all but empty, and the dark spots swirling inside her were eating away her system. With his limited medical knowledge, there wouldn't be much he could do for her.

She was dying.

The realization bothered Sasuke more than he cared to admit. Bonds had long been broken, shattered by his own hands, but he had never forgotten her—or any of the other members of his former genin team. There hadn't been a day gone by when either of them hadn't crossed his mind, no matter how briefly or insignificantly. And no matter how much he desperately wanted to remain unattached, he knew he couldn't leave Sakura here.

With a sigh, he bent to pick her up. Her skin was cold to the touch, her lifeless weight heavy in his arms. There was only a faint hint of a pulse and it was thready at best. He didn't lie to himself; there wouldn't be much he could do for her, but would be damned if he allowed her body to be ravaged by wild animals. What little he knew of her, he knew she didn't deserve such a fate.

Jaw clenched determinedly, he started towards his house, her smaller body tucked tightly in his arms.

* * *

In the light of his bedroom, Sasuke could see the changes in Sakura. No longer was she the thin, gangly little girl who had followed him around constantly and without shame. Even through his detached gaze, he could see she had grown uncommonly pretty. Not beautiful in an obvious way, but undoubtedly striking, with her creamy skin and pale pink hair. He wondered if her eyes were still the bright jade orbs he remembered or if they had dimmed and become world-weary. In their profession, nothing stayed innocent for long.

He undressed her methodically, ignoring his baser urges to study the changes time had brought to her now more feminine figure. Once she was fully naked, he started to dry her off before wrapping her body with thick blankets. Her lips were almost blue against her clammy skin and she was going into hypothermia. He knew enough about that he shouldn't plunge her into hot water straight away and risk shock.

He worked slowly, but effectively, lighting candles and stoking the fire in the hearth to warm the room and quicken the process. It became so hot, sweat dripped down his face, but he disregarded his comfort in lieu of hers. He cupped her small feet in his hands, rubbed the soles to get the blood pumping.

The cold wasn't the issue. Even as her body grew warmer, she remained pale and unconscious. He continued to activate his Sharingan, studying the progress in her system. He had seen enough in his life to know that the black spots flowing through her veins were poison and they were consistently moving upwards, drawing near to her heart. There was a fresh wound at her side, where the spots were most obvious.

Her breathing suddenly became rattled and his eyes flew to her face. Pain was twisting her features. _Good_, he thought with satisfaction. If she could feel pain, it meant that she still had a fighting chance.

Making a decision, he picked up his kunai. With a flick of his wrist, he reopened the cut at her side. Blood trickled out and with his fingers he pressed the sides so that more blood poured out. She started to struggle, instinctively trying to push away the pain. He subdued her easily, his grip holding fast. He squeezed until blood turned to puss. The yellow substance was thick and putrid, but he blinked his disgust away, increasing the pressure until it began to thin.

He once again glanced at her face. Her lips were less blue and there were twin spots of red on her cheekbones. He shot a bit of chakra into her body and her shoulders jerked.

The fluid coming out of her wound was now watery and he knew that the poison was coming out. But they weren't done yet. He didn't know if she would survive this, but if she didn't . . .

If she didn't, then he could take comfort in the fact that at least this time, he hadn't left her alone.

* * *

By the next day, Sakura was feverish. Sasuke ran damp cloths over her and kept the windows open, allowing the fresh air to breeze in. There was an angry flesh around her wound and he applied ointment he used for his own wounds while continuing to infuse small shots of his own chakra. In her feverish stupor, she thrashed about wildly and Sasuke quickly learned that she had a mean right hook and could swear like a sailor.

Nighttime was the worst. Her struggles became so bad, he had to physically restrain her. Words of rage filled the room as she shouted about everything that made her angry, from her profession to her personal life. She ranted about the missions she had done, of the people she had been forced to kill, of the hypocrisy of having to heal her patients when she had just bloodied her hands that same morning. There were moments that amused him, when she muttered about ramen and stupid boys that talked too loudly.

"I don't want to talk about _him_," she spat, her head shaking back and forth. He paused as he washed his hands, turning to look at her curiously.

"He's _stupid_," she declared furiously. "He's untalkative and anti-social. His hair's funny. And he _left_ us."

Sasuke's fists clenched. He wasn't stupid. It didn't take a genius to figure out who she was talking about. He remained silent as she continued to disparage his character, insulting him about everything from his lack of emotion to his ignorant fashion sense.

" . . . And he looks like a _girl_. Who wants to date someone who's prettier than her?"

"I'm not pretty," he muttered, highly insulted.

"He didn't trust us. He didn't trust _me_. I hate that he left us. He should have believed in us more."

Between bouts of rage, Sakura cried a lot. He wondered how long it had been since she'd cried, because her tears were seemingly endless. Annoyingly, everything seemed to be able to prompt her tears, even a pair of earrings that Ino borrowed and never gave back.

While he took care of her, he attended to his own chores. He went fishing at the stream behind his house and washed his clothes, as well as the soiled sheets from the bed Sakura used. He couldn't stay away for long, however, because it seemed that she was as clumsy as a newborn. She'd knock over everything, including the washbowl on the bed stand and the bed stand itself. In his pique, Sasuke considered smothering her with her pillow to put both of them out of their misery.

By the middle of the week, Sasuke knew she would make it. Her skin was cooler and the angry swell around her wound had gone down. He wrapped a poultice around the ragged flesh and hoped for the best.

On the morning of the fifth day, Sasuke came out of the bathroom, freshly bathed and as usual, went to check on her. He activated his Sharingan and saw that there was only a hint of poison left. He was re-cleaning her wound when her hand moved and warily, he drew back, unwilling to be punched again. As his gaze drifted upwards, he grew still.

Her eyes were opened and the pale green orbs widened in surprise as they met his.

**To be continued.**


	2. Reunion of a Sorts

Author's note: Please bear in mind that the storyline changes almost absolutely after Pein's invasion.

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**Chapter 2: Reunion of a Sorts**

For a moment, Sakura truly believed she had died—and she wasn't sure if she had gone to heaven or hell. There was Sasuke, hovering over her, face as stoic as ever. He was Sasuke, and yet he wasn't. His inky-black hair was longer, almost touching his broad shoulders, and his features were shaper, more defined. His eyes, once he'd deactivated his blood limit, were as dark as she remembered, deep and unreadable. Unsurprisingly, he was incredibly handsome, as beautiful as the angel of death—or as sinful as the devil himself.

Then pain washed over her and judging from the way her body shook, she confirmed that yes, she was still alive. Irritation shot through her and she wanted to punch Fate's face—the stupid bitch. _Of course_ after so many years, she would meet Sasuke again when she felt—and definitely looked—as if she'd been raked back and forth over hot coals while _he_ looked perfect—even more so than he'd been as a boy.

Their eyes held for a long moment, during which Sakura groggily took in her surroundings. She dearly hoped that wherever they were, it was his house and not someone else's. She wouldn't put it past him to break into a stranger's home.

As if he could read her mind, he declared, "You're in my house. I found you on my property."

Sakura mentally lifted an eyebrow. _His_ property? And sheesh, he didn't have to sound so _irritated_. It wasn't like she had _chosen_ to die on his land. And since when did a forest become private property?

Again, the all-knowing Uchiha answered, "I bought three acres of the surrounding land." He didn't tell her how he got that much money and she didn't think she wanted to know anyway.

Sasuke frowned slightly. Now that he thought about it, how had she not tripped one of the numerous traps he'd sent about his property? He made a mental note to go and check them later.

_**Much**__ later,_ he thought impatiently as he watched Sakura weakly struggle to raise herself up. He didn't offer any help and she didn't ask for it. Finally, with much huffing and puffing she managed to lift her upper body, resting her weight against the headboard.

He wondered how long it would take her to realize that the blanket had slipped down to her waist.

Not that long.

A cool breeze from the open window drifted in, brushing her bare breasts. Sakura's eyes became as large as saucers and she slowly looked down at her hardening nipples. Her mouth fell open and she gave a small shriek as she quickly covered herself with her hands.

Her head whipped up to look at Sasuke, who stared back nonchalantly. She cupped herself tighter, and he wanted to tell her that the blanket would have been a much better choice.

She glared at him, twin spots of pink appearing on her high cheekbones. "I'm naked!" she yelled—or at least she _tried_. Her voice, however, sounded very much like a sick bullfrog's.

Sasuke resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "I didn't see a thing," he deadpanned.

She narrowed her eyes angrily, her mouth traveling back and forth between opening and closing.

He sighed. "Here," he said, shoving a glass of water into her hand. "Drink that. I'll get you something to wear."

She took the glass, careful to keep the newly-comprehended bed sheet wrapped around her chest.

By the time he came back, her throat felt less dry and she had done a short check on her system, relieved to find that she had regained more chakra and that the very tiny amount of lingering poison could be easily healed.

She watched him closely as he walked over to the bed, noting the vast changes with further detail. He was taller—much to her displeasure, because _her_ growth spurt had annoyingly faltered at sixteen—and the lean muscles in his arms and legs told her that whatever he was right now, it didn't halt his training. His physique was just as well honed as any skilled shinobi—perhaps even better.

She studied the strong lines of his face. No longer was it the face of a youthful boy forced to age beyond his time. No, with his sharp cheekbones and strong jaw, she knew she was looking at the face of a _man_. He looked, quite startlingly, very much like his older brother, except for the deep grooves under the other man's dangerous eyes.

She wondered at the extend of Sasuke's changes. The last time she saw him, she had been helplessly watching his back—yet again—as he chased after his brother while she and the rest of her team had been occupied with their own opponents. Much later that evening, she had seen for herself the devastation the two brothers had wrought during their battle. She had been achingly relieved—but slightly disappointed—to not have found a body among the jagged cracks and deep craters. Two days later, she heard that Sasuke's lifelong dream had finally been achieved. Uchiha Itachi was dead. Sasuke had avenged his family.

To her dismay, things had not become better. She and Naruto had waited painfully for the return of their friend, ready to welcome him back with open arms. But Sasuke never returned and they had, sadly, gotten on with their lives. They had enemies to kill, a village to protect. Sakura had devoted all of her time to making sure Naruto wouldn't fall into the enemies' hands the way Gaara had. Years passed, victories were achieved, but Sakura had never quite ceased to look for a familiar head of black hair everywhere she went and she knew Naruto hadn't either.

_Oh God_, she thought, face becoming pale. _Naruto_. She only hoped that he wasn't back yet from his own mission, because he would undoubtedly be throwing hell if he found out that she'd missed her arrival date.

How would he react if he found out where she was? Unlike Sakura, who kept her hopes to herself, Naruto had always been very verbal about his expectations of Sasuke's return. Ten years had not dimmed him the slightest and she was oftentimes envious of his eternal optimism.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Sasuke unceremoniously tossed a—surprise, surprise—dark blue shirt at her. She swiftly grabbed it and turned her back to him to put it on.

She didn't know why she felt so shy in front of him. She wasn't entirely modest with naked bodies, given her medical rank, and it wasn't her first time being naked in front of the opposite sex. She had been on enough missions with male shinobi to lose her girlish sensibilities. And given the fact that her best friend usually walked around his home in just a pair of boxers (even in the present of company), she could look at naked (male or otherwise) body without batting an eyelash.

But the knowledge that Sasuke had seen her fully-bared body—even though it was _necessary_—and had probably touched her naked flesh _while she remained absolutely unconscious_ made her feel oddly . . . vulnerable. It certainly had never been a part of her ridiculous fantasies as a bright-eyed adolescent.

The shirt Sasuke gave her was old and threadbare and she knew it wouldn't fit his broad shoulders anymore. The soft cotton felt nice against her skin and despite its near-ragged state, it swallowed her whole, the hem reaching half away down her bare thighs. There was a faint scent of sandalwood and she was strangely startled to realize that it had once covered his own body, absorbing his sweat and protecting him from the weather.

She turned back to Sasuke, who had busied himself by changing the water in the basin. There were so many things she wanted to say, so many questions that needed to be asked. She wanted to yell and curse at him. She wanted to hug him and soothe away whatever scars he had—yes, there was _still_ a part of her that was occupied by a bright-eyed adolescent. But most of all, she just wanted to _talk_ to him.

Instead, she simply said, "Thank you, Sasuke."

It was a term that would forever be embedded between them.

* * *

"Why did you help me?"

The chopsticks in his hand didn't waver at the sudden sound of her voice, even though he was slightly startled by it. It was the first time she had spoken since they sat down to eat. She had had difficulty walking, her muscles weakened by the lack of usage. But she had refused to eat in bed and he had helped her to the table with forced patience, because she had also refused to be carried.

The meal wasn't anything to boast about, merely a simple fare of rice, grilled fish and miso soup. He wasn't a picky easer and in spite of her incredible hunger, she was smart enough to know that her stomach should be given ample time to digest before she started raiding the fridge.

Sasuke gave her a brief, but thorough glance before returning his attention to the food. The question itself didn't surprise him. Rather, it surprised him that she had managed to restrain herself until dinnertime—another proof that she had changed, he thought, as he recalled the multiple times he had seriously considered stapling her lips—and Naruto's—together during mission trips.

She was staring at him with an expectant look, large green eyes curious and somewhat suspicious.

When he remained silent and continued to fastidiously chew his fish, she frowned. "Aren't you going to answer me?" she huffed.

He let out a soft sigh and shot her an irritated scowl. "I didn't want to you die on my property," he told her bluntly. "You would have attracted too many rodents."

Sakura narrowed her eyes as several choice words—all courtesy of Naruto and Tsunade-sama's influences—ran through her mind. The nerve of him! And he sounded honest about it, too!

"You're such an asshole, Sasuke," she growled.

Sasuke blinked, biting back a surprised chuckle. He was glad that she was absorbed with viciously stabbing her already-cooked fish or she would have seen the slight tilt of his lips. _That_ was unexpected and it hit him once again that she had truly changed.

* * *

"When did you buy the land?"

The glinting blade of the axe dropped down with a sharp crack, neatly breaking the log into two. Sakura wondered why Sasuke didn't take the easy way and make use of his shinobi skills to chop the firewood, but she understood the simplicity of it. There were many times when she could easily heal a small wound, but had merely slapped a band-aid over it and allowed nature to take its usual course.

Sasuke looked at her briefly before tossing aside the split logs. He picked up another log and placed it on the tree stump.

It was early morning and Sakura had been woken up by the sounds of dull thumping. Curious, she had painstakingly walked out to find him chopping up wood, his shirt already stained with sweat. It felt odd seeing him like this . . . so domesticated. Last night, she had marveled at the sight of him washing the dishes and folding clothes and wondered how she'd missed this during the year they were teammates.

"Sasuke?"

He glanced at her again, sitting on the porch, her head resting against one of the beams. She had thrown a blanket over her shoulders to protect herself against the morning chill, her hair messy and matted from sleep. Her long, slim legs dangled over the raised porch, swaying back and forth like a little girl.

"Five years ago," he answered as he raised the axe.

She waited patiently for him for the axe to swing down before she spoke again. "And the house? Was it here already or did you build it?"

"I built it," he answered crisply.

She pursed her lips impatiently. "You know," she huffed, "_you_ might not want to talk, but _some_ people aren't programmed stay purposely mute when Kami has gifted them with a working voice box!"

He snorted and continued to chop wood, knowing she didn't actually need a response.

He was right. Her temper disappeared as quickly as it appeared, unable to defeat her curiosity. "So you built the house, huh? By yourself or did anyone help you?"

Letting out an irritated sigh, he allowed the axe to fall down beside him and turned to face her. "I built it myself. I didn't ask for help. It took me a year to finish everything, including the furniture. I worked in my workshop over there—" he pointed at small, wooden building "—and got my supplies from a nearby village. I had to call an electrician in because as good as I was, I didn't fancy being electrocuted. I cleared an area five minutes away from here for training purposes and built a small shed by the creek because I like to be comfortable while I fish. There. Is that enough for you?" he finished sarcastically.

She blinked. That was the most she had ever heard him speak if the topic was not about planning an attack or how to steal Kakashi's mask. She smiled brightly. "It's a nice house," she complimented.

He shook his head, grunted, and picked up his axe.

She wanted to ask him why he had built the house and not return to Konoha instead. But she decided to save the question for when he didn't have a sharp weapon in his hand and chose another topic instead.

She carefully chose her words, making sure to keep her voice casual. "Naruto got a new apartment," she declared innocently, watching him closely—which was a good thing, or she would have missed the brief tensing of his shoulders the moment she mentioned their friend's name. "It's actually quite nice, if you don't count the food stains on the carpet. Kakashi and I helped him moved in and I almost gave both men a concussion when I threw a couch at them because they weren't doing anything." She smiled at the memory. It was a testament to their profession that she could actually say that without sounding insane. If a civilian were to hear her talk casually about throwing couches instead of plates, they would have wanted her committed.

Sasuke said nothing, but it didn't faze her. "Actually, his apartment is near mine," she continued, "but he might as well not have bought it, since he's constantly at my place and raiding my refrigerator. And Kakashi's just as bad. Why, last month I came back to find the two idiots burning my stove because, get this, they wanted to make the water boil fast—"

"Sakura."

She stopped talking and quirked a delicately-shaped eyebrow.

His black eyes were cold and void of emotion, his voice following suit. "You shouldn't be walking. Go inside."

Years ago, such a reaction from him would have upset her. But she was no longer the giggling fool she had been, so she was hardly cowered. But she knew enough about him to not press the issue and silently climbed to her feet.

The sounds of splitting logs echoed behind her as she went back inside.

* * *

When Sakura first saw Sasuke shirtless, she only took a moment to run her eyes over his bare chest with feminine interest. She was a straight, hot-blooded female and she would be blind not to notice the perfectly-chiseled muscles of his chest and stomach. Her attention, however, was quickly caught by the multiple scars covering his torso.

She shouldn't be surprised. He was a shinobi. _Of course_ he was going to have scars. She herself had several, but they were more of mementos; like the wicked one on her back as a reminder that she, Sakura, had, before anyone else, faced an Akatsuki member head-on and came out with _his_ bloody—or rather, freaky wooden-like—carcass. Every other wound she'd encountered had been perfectly healed without leaving a mark and she was honest enough to admit that, yes, it was because of vanity reasons.

But Sasuke didn't seem to share the sentiment. Scars, from small, almost microscopic ones to long ones that ran down the side of his rib, were scattered all over his otherwise smooth skin. She wondered why she was so surprised by them. Perhaps because in her childish fantasies, she had pictured his bare chest to be as flawless as he was. The pale lines made him look . . . _human_, silently telling her that he was as indestructible as any other man.

She dearly wanted to ask him about the scars, about the things he'd done to receive them. She knew so much about him, yet nothing at all. Where had he been all these years? _What_ had he been doing? She smiled faintly. Theirs was a song of never-ending questions and vague answers.

He saw the direction of her gaze but unlike her, he had no false sense of modesty. He continued to rub his wet hair dry with a towel, the muscles in his arms working with every movement.

Lying on the bed, she watched him unabashedly, struck by the casualness of the moment. Just weeks ago, she had been in Konoha and going about her daily routine. Never, not for a second, had this scenario crossed her mind. How strange life could be, she mused.

He grabbed a clean shirt from his dresser, where his clothes—yes, in her boredom she had rifled through them—were neatly folded. While she occupied his bedroom, he had been sleeping in the spare room next door, but he came in and out occasionally to get clothes and use the only bathroom in the house. She was, of course, in no position to complain and after several, highly embarrassed—for her, that is—situations, she'd learned to wear clothes while she slept.

He pulled on the shirt, throwing a glance at her direction. "I'm going to go and check my traps. Think you can keep out of trouble while I am gone?"

She made a face at him. "I'll burn the house down," she said sweetly.

He snorted and turned around to leave and she was left wondering what other scars he hid.

* * *

Three days after she regained consciousness, satisfaction coursed through Sakura when her legs remained steady as she stood. She looked down at her glowing fists, smug to find that her chakra level were quickly returning to its normal amount. The small bursts of energy were a welcome occurrence in stead of the pitiful emptiness that had plague her for most of the week.

At last, she thought. She was back in a decent fighting form.

Searching the house, she found Sasuke in the backyard, shirtless and sweaty, going through several sequences of kata. She took a moment to admire the fluidity of his movements, the flawless execution of every step. He really was an excellent shinobi.

She had had enough, Sakura decided with a firm nod. And finally, she was able to do something about it.

He saw her coming from the corner of his eye, but did not stop his exercise. When she started to run, he wondered what the hell was going. He turned to ask.

He was too late.

_Fuck_.

It was the last thought he had before her glowing fist connected with his eye.

**To be continued**


	3. Venting

First of all, thank you for the nice reviews. I hope to see more!

And now, on with the next chapter!

* * *

**Chapter 3: Venting**

The blow sent him reeling backwards to a nearby tree. He grunted as the bark bit sharply into his back, sending a shot of pain up his spine. For a split second, he remained slumped against the tree, shocked by the sheer strength of her tiny, ineffectual—at least he'd _thought_ it was—fist.

Then anger coursed through him and he straightened, his hand instantly flying to the kunai he'd always kept at his side. He should have known this was coming; their confrontation was inevitable. But he hadn't expected it to be so soon. He hadn't been having a good day; he'd woken up with a pounding headache and a cold flush that he hadn't been able to shake off, and Sakura's sudden fist-happy episode wasn't helping. She'd caught him off guard. He didn't like it.

Quite frankly, he was _pissed_.

He crouched into a fighting position, his shoulders tensed for attack. Black eyes narrowed with warning as they met fiery green orbs.

"What," he growled, "the _fuck_ do you think you're doing?"

She was breathing hard through her nose, her arms crossed at the wrists in her own battle stance. She returned his glare, fury radiating from every pore. Finally, she was going to voice the thoughts that had been plaguing her since she came to.

"Why did you save me?" she demanded heatedly. "Why did you buy this place? AND WHY THE HELL DIDN'T YOU COME BACK?"

He stepped away from the tree, kunai held firmly in his hand. His Sharingan whirled wildly, his handsome face red with anger. "Did you rather I leave you there for the animals to tear apart?" he yelled back. "Would you have rather _died?_"

"That's not what I meant, Sasuke, and you know it!" she snapped. She held her hands up beseechingly, eyes filled with desperation. "I've looked around the house and it's _beautiful_. I can't come up with any reason why you would want to leave it—and that scares me to death."

There was a lump in her throat and her heart pounded rapidly inside her chest. "Why didn't you come back, Sasuke?" she asked in a harsh whisper. "We never gave up on you, but this—the house, your land, _everything_—tells me that _you_ have. My God, I want to _murder_ you! Don't you know how much you've hurt us? Naruto . . . even if you never cared about me, what about him? He waited for you. _We_ waited for you. We've _been_ waiting for you for ten years. Ten years!"

A muscle in his jaw twitched, but he remained silent.

Sakura drew in a shaky breath, biting on her trembling bottom lip. She looked away, blinking rapidly against the sharp sting in her eyes. "You know," she rasped, "honestly, I'd rather you _hadn't_ saved me. At least then, I would still have hope that you were coming back. What am I going to tell Naruto?"

Sasuke clenched his teeth. "You tell him _nothing_," he spat.

"That's it? You're _really_ not coming back?"

He didn't answer, but his silence spoke volumes. She watched as he deactivated his blood limit and pocketed his weapon, his face still somewhat flushed. Her shoulders slumped in defeat and for the first time since his abandonment, she knew there was nothing left to say. The painful knot in her chest tightened and she wanted to find a safe place to hide and cry until her tear ducts emptied.

_No_, her inner voice objected. _No_. She was no longer the little girl who could do nothing but weep. She was a kunoichi.

She wouldn't give up.

She took a determined step toward him, noting the way his shoulders tensed. "Sasuke," she said beseechingly. "I—I know you've killed Itachi—"

"Don't," he interrupted, his tone rising. He whirled around to look at her and she could see the red whirls reappearing in his coal-black eyes. His voice was so cold, it frightened her.

"Don't," he repeated. "Don't say his name."

She held her ground. "Stop it," she pleaded. "Stop _this_. Don't you see it, Sasuke? You're still living in his shadow. Kami, let him go already. I know you've killed him. I know you've avenged your clan. I know—"

_"You know nothing!_" he roared, his voice echoing throughout the clearing.

He moved so suddenly, he was less than a blur. Before she could barely blinked, she was stumbling back, the gleaming tip of his kunai held firmly at her delicate throat.

He stood in front of her, so closely she could feel his hot breath on her cheek, smell the faint hint of soap he used. Her pulse raced madly, her green orbs large with fear as she looked up at his red face. "Itachi—"

"Don't you speak his name," he spat furiously. "You know _nothing_, Sakura. You think you got me all figured out, but you don't. You see a lonely, pathetic boy who needs to be saved, but I don't need to be saved—especially not from a weakling like you."

Her breathing hitched. "That's not true," she choked out.

His eyes flashed unsympathetically. "It _is_ true. What, do you think just because you can break a couple of mountains, you're a hero now? Get over yourself, Sakura, you're merely Konoha's _bitch. You're_ the pathetic one, Sakura. You always were and you always will be."

She bit back a sob, covering her mouth with a trembling hand.

He smirked cruelly. "No comeback? No more wisdom to share?"

She drew away her hand, rubbing away the tears from her eyes. "Sa-Sasuke," she stuttered, "sit down."

He frowned at the sudden change. "What?" he barked in confusion.

"Sit down, you idiot."

It was the last thing he heard before he felt the ground beneath him slip away and darkness took over completely.

* * *

The arrogant bastard had a raging fever.

Sakura glared at the unconscious, prone form as his shaky pants filled the air. She'd carried him into his bedroom, infinitely grateful for her super strength because, Kami, he was _heavy_

_Among other things,_ she thought ungraciously.

Naruto, she decided firmly, had had it right all along. Sasuke _was_ a bastard. After the hateful things he'd said to her, she should just leave him alone. She should just take her _pathetic_ medical skills and let him fight the fever alone.

But it wasn't a normal fever. After making a quick check on him, she'd discovered that he had somehow contracted some of the poison that had previously attacked her. But unlike hers, the amount of dangerous toxin in his system wasn't as high or life-threatening, and would, she believed, gradually disappear. Therefore, she didn't _need_ to heal him, the stupid jerk.

She stood over him, torn between leaving him with several souvenirs on his face courtesy of a marker pen and her natural instincts as a doctor. After being so cruel to her, he didn't deserve her help.

_But he had helped __**her**_. Without owing her anything, he had helped her. Regardless of what he thought of her, he hadn't turned away and left her for dead in the middle of the forest.

She let out a long sigh and decided to look for her backpack, where she kept her medical supplies.

_But first_. She smiled deviously and went in search for a pen.

* * *

His fever didn't last long, especially aided by her healing chakra. By late evening the next day, Sasuke woke up with a dry throat and clammy skin, feeling slightly lightheaded. His head turned on the pillow to see Sakura sitting next to the bed, her eyes watchful, her face carefully void of emotion. It was the first time he had seen her so indifferent and it was strangely jarring.

He swallowed, grimacing at the slight difficulty of it. Silently, she passed him a glass of water.

He took a small sip, blinking to clear away the fog of sleep from his eyes. "Did you poison me?" he asked groggily after taking a sip.

An impatient frown crossed her pretty features and she rolled her eyes. "Yes, Sasuke, I did," she answered sarcastically. "I poisoned you in the hope that after I saved you from a fatal disease, you would fly into my arms with gratitude and love."

The corners of his mouth lifted slightly. "I knew you had it in you."

Sakura chuckled softly, oddly pleased with their light—and unusual—banter. She ran her gaze over his blanket-clad form, searching for any disturbance in his chakra. "How do you feel?" she asked quietly.

"Like I just had a fever."

She snorted. "Actually, I _did_ poison you." At his questioning look, she elaborated, "You must have had a small cut on your hand when you took care of me. My blood entered your system, bringing in a little bit of the poison the enemy-nin gave me. It was a tiny dose, which is why it took so long to affect you. It was hardly life-threatening, but it did prompt the fever."

He frowned. "I didn't even notice it."

She clucked her tongue. "That's the beauty of it. To be honest, I'm glad you got some of the poison because I was able to replicate it. Now we have our own dangerous weapon."

"I'm glad to be of service," he snarked.

She let out a light laugh and reached for the semi-empty glass from his hand. He took the opportunity to look her over, noting that she was dressed in her own clothes. He glanced over her shoulder and saw the brown satchel placed by the door.

She followed his direction and sent him a brief smile. "I'm leaving at dawn," she declared. "I was just waiting for you to wake up."

He studied her face closely, silently wondering at the odd expression on her face. "You didn't have to stay," he said quietly.

"And you didn't have to save me." She smiled crookedly and shrugged. "But sometimes we do the things we don't have to, because sometimes—sometimes it's the right thing to do."

"Thank you," he mumbled.

This time, her smile was brittle and there was a hard edge in her voice as she spoke. "It was nothing. Even _I_ could handle it."

He frowned, painfully aware of the twinge of guilt he felt. "Sakura, the things I said . . ."

"Don't," she interrupted curtly. She shook her head at him. "Don't apologize for what you feel."

She took a deep breath and slowly released it, pushing back her chair as she stood. "Maybe you were right," she admitted softly. "Maybe, subconsciously, there _is_ a part of me that wants to be your savior. But I can't and honestly, I don't _want_ to want to be your savior." She reached out to touch his shoulder briefly. "I hate to admit it, but perhaps we've been wrong all this while. You don't owe us anything, Sasuke. I—I hope you can find peace here, Sasuke, I really do. Please don't worry—I won't tell anyone you're here. I'll leave by first light in the morning."

He nodded tersely. He should be glad that she was leaving, that his life would return to normal and he would no longer carry around the confusion of emotions he'd had since he brought her here. She would go and he would return to his solitude, not having to answer the occasional silly questions or forced to make conversations during meals.

He should be pleased at the prospect of being alone.

He should.

He watched her turn to leave the room and felt his heart stuttered. Maybe, just _maybe_, he admitted to himself with great reluctance, she was partly right and he was somewhat lonely. In the days since she'd been here, even while she remained unconscious, he'd felt an odd sense of . . . comfort. She was loud and annoying and Kami, she still talked too much, but he'd liked that his house wasn't so silent anymore. She'd even begun to help wash the dishes and although he had to resist the urge to throw water at her as she prattled on while she dried the plates, he'd enjoyed the old feeling of being part of a team. _A family_.

He should let her leave. No good would come out of prolonging her stay. She was extremely talkative and could be overly emotional and she disturbed his normal balance. It was better for her to go. He should—

"Sakura."

She turned around, looking at him expectantly. "Yes?"

He stared at the ceiling above him for long moments. Finally, he spoke. "You don't have to leave so soon."

Her eyes widened and her heart began to thud painfully in her chest. She reached out and placed a hand on the door to steady her suddenly trembling knees. "Then," she whispered, and there was a quiver in her voice, "ask me to stay."

He made an impatient sound and glanced at her, his eyes darker than usual. "This won't change a thing," he declared curtly. "I won't go back."

Her hands curled into tight fists as she became overwhelmed by the intensity in his black orbs. "Say it, Sasuke," she rasped. "Give me that much, at least."

Silence filled the room for a long time, and when he at last spoke, his voice was so quiet, it was barely audible.

"Stay."

Her fingers tightened around the doorknob.

* * *

Sasuke sat by the open shouji, a blanket wrapped loosely around his bare shoulders. The sun had set, but there was enough moonlight to cast shadows on Sakura's slim figure as she stood under a tree, her pale pink hair gleaming in the dark.

He watched as her hands moved in a series of signals and then there was soft _pop_. Sasuke couldn't hear what she said to the knee-length slug, but a few minutes later, it disappeared as quickly as it appeared.

She turned around and spotted him. A small smile appeared on her face as she made her way across the backyard to him. "Did you manage to get everything off?" she said teasingly, gesturing at his face.

He scowled and gingerly touched his cheek, which he'd nearly rubbed to raw to wash off the doodles she'd made. "How long do you have?" he asked, ignoring her laughter.

"A week," she answered. "And don't worry—I made sure the message is untraceable."

She sat down next to him, gracefully folding her legs underneath her. He glanced at her. "A week," he echoed.

"Yeah. I couldn't ask for more without raising suspicions. As it is, I've been gone too long."

He nodded and his gaze moved away to study to the night clouds. A week. They had a week. He didn't know what would happen, nor did he expect anything to happen. But a week was enough. Maybe, just _maybe_ it would be enough to repair any damage that had long been done between them.

He wouldn't ask for more.

**To be continued**


	4. Endless Possibilities

Again, thank you for the reviews. Keep them coming!

* * *

**Chapter 4: Endless Possibilities**

Seconds after one of Katsuya's offspring disappeared, Tsunade continued to stare at the evaporating cloud of smoke and the small, wet stain the slug had left on her desk. The blonde Hokage leaned back in her chair, folding her hands on her flat stomach.

_Where are you, Sakura?_

When her former apprentice had missed her return date, Tsunade had felt a twinge of concern. When the scouts she'd sent had reported back that Haruno Sakura had accomplished her mission but had not been found, she became really worried. Admittedly, her concern had gone beyond the feelings of a village leader for one of her prized shinobi to more of a personal territory. Sakura, the Hokage wasn't ashamed to admit, was one of the very few people she considered family.

The blonde replayed the message she'd received from the slug in her mind over and over, searching for some sort of clue as to her whereabouts. The message had been very vague, merely telling the Hokage of the pink-haired medic-nin's request for a short sojourn and that she was safe. Every shinobi had a code word, in case they were held by the enemy and forced to deliver a message, but Sakura's code word had not been spoken at all.

The Hokage's thoughts were rudely interrupted when her office door flew open with a bang. Tsunade scowled at the blond gorilla that stomped into the room, nearly foaming at the mouth.

"Oi, obaa-san," the young man said without any regard to proper decorum, "where did you send Sakura and why the hell isn't she back yet?"

Tsunade narrowed her eyes warningly. "Show some respect, boy!" she barked.

Uzumaki Naruto ignored his leader's dangerous tone and all but jumped onto the desk, shoving his face into the other blonde's. "Where's Sakura-chan?" he demanded.

Tsunade pushed the young man away non-too gently, smiling as he crashed into the opposite wall with a painful yelp. "Get out of my personal space, Naruto," she ordered.

He sprang to his feet, rubbing his head with a scowl. "Sakura's missing and I want to request permission to go look for her."

"She's not missing," Tsunade told him, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. "She's fine. She's requested a time-off and is on a vacation."

"A vacation?" Naruto echoed, confusion crossing his handsome face. "She's asked for a vacation and didn't ask me to go along with her? And you said yes? How could you, Obaa-san!"

"Stop whining, you idiot," Tsunade snapped. "I can't blame her for asking for a vacation—I'd have one too if I had to spend most of my time with you. In fact, I _should_ get a vacation—you're enough to drive anyone insane."

Naruto frowned harder. "Are you _sure_ she's on a vacation?" he asked skeptically. "For all you know, she could be in some dungeon somewhere, tortured by an enemy nin!"

This time, Tsunade _did_ roll her eyes. "Do you actually think I'd let that happen? I've trained her well enough. If she were in danger, I would know."

"Where is she then?" Naruto demanded rudely.

"I'm not going to tell you," Tsunade said smugly.

Naruto smirked. "You don't know where she is, do you?"

"Of course I do," Tsunade lied. "Now get the hell out of my office before I'm tempted to give you a D-class mission, kid!"

"Fine!" Naruto responded petulantly. "But if she doesn't come back in a week, I'm going add more wrinkles on your granny face!"

Tsunade's reply came in a form of a flying shuriken and he deftly ducked as he ran out of the room.

The Hokage sat back in her chair with scowl and angrily reached for a nearby scroll. With sadistic glee, she smugly wrote down Naruto's name and stamped down the Hokage's seal with a flourish. There! Tsunade thought triumphantly. May the idiot have a long and happy day of chasing a cat.

She sighed and tossed away the scroll. "Oh, Sakura," she said to the empty room, "wherever you are, you better damn well be safe."

* * *

Sakura stood in the middle of the street and surveyed her surrounding with wide, green eyes. If she were surprised by the small town thirty minutes away from Sasuke's place, she didn't voice it out-loud.

The village was by no means as grand or as prosperous as Konoha, but it had enough people in it to be a complete contrast to Sasuke's self-forced solitude. The few merchants that greeted him familiarly told her that he had not even attempted to disguise himself. How ironic, Sakura mused, that all this while, she and so many others had pictured him hiding in caves or sand-dune lairs, when in fact, he had been here, in plain sight. It was, she thought, the perfect way to disappear.

"Sakura."

She turned around to look at him. He was standing a few feet away from the trinket stand that had caught her attention, an impatient scowl on his handsome face.

"Yes?"

"Keep up," he practically growled.

She all but skipped over to him, her gaze roaming over the building with childish curiosity. "How do they make a living?" she wondered out loud, noting the lack of poverty-stricken people.

"Travelers," Sasuke answered simply. "It's a good location for travelers to stop by and gather supplies. There are enough people passing through yearly for the villagers to put food on their table."

Sakura's eyes shone in delight. "It's wonderful," she exclaimed.

Sasuke sighed and continued to walk, Sakura following close behind. She noted with amusement that some things would never change; even with his altered appearance from boy to man, Sasuke still attracted many dreamy looks from passing females. And now, with her unusual pink hair for company, the villagers fairly gawked at them.

"You're quite popular, I see," she teased him, nudging his shoulder.

He grunted in annoyance.

"You're such a pretty, pretty boy, Sasuke," she cooed.

"Shut. Up," he hissed, but there was no hiding the somewhat reddened tips of his ears.

She laughed and had to run to keep up with him as he purposely quickened his pace.

They stopped in front a clothing store. "Get anything you need there," Sasuke told Sakura. "I'm heading over to the supplies store. I'll be back in half an hour."

Sakura widened her eyes innocently. "You're not coming in with me?" she pouted. "What if I get stiffed?"

Sasuke scoffed. "I'm sure you'll be able to handle it," he said wryly. "Thirty minutes, Sakura."

"But I'm a _girl_—that's not enough time! Hey, I'm talking to you!"

The door chimed as Sasuke walked into the drugstore. He gave a nod at the owner's cheerful greeting and headed down the aisle, snagging a basket on his way.

He was picking up a carton of milk when he became aware of her presence. He looked up and glanced briefly at the pretty, brown-eyed brunette. "Hello, Ayaka," he greeted politely.

The brunette smiled coyly, taking a step closer. "Sasuke," she breathed. "You haven't visited me lately."

"I've been busy," he answered stiffly, dropping the milk carton into his basket.

"With that pink-haired woman?"

At that, Sasuke turned to study the brunette. She was a beautiful woman, widowed far too early in life. She lived in a small apartment above the general store and Sasuke visited her from time to time, when his hormones got the better of him. They always had a nice time, slaking their lust with each other's body, but they had a silent understanding that it would never go beyond than that. Sasuke always left immediately after they were finished and although she had always invited him to stay, her smile had never wavered when he refused.

Now, though, Sasuke wondered if perhaps he should done what every other single male usually did and visit the local brothel. He had made it clear from the very beginning that he wasn't looking for any kind of relationship and he'd assumed she felt the same. But the glint in her brown eyes now told him otherwise.

"She's an old . . . friend," he answered, not wanting to elaborate further.

"Oh." Ayaka's smile widened. "She's very beautiful. I've never seen pink hair before. It's very unique."

Sasuke nodded, and politely waited for her to continue.

She drew nearer, peering at him from beneath her eyelashes. "I've missed you," she murmured throatily. "Will you come to me tonight?"

He remained silent for a while, contemplating her question seriously. It had been a while since he'd last slept with her and while he'd never been the kind of man unable to control his body's demands, he was a _man_, a normal, hot-blooded male that didn't quite appreciate his unexpected guest's newfound pleasure of traipsing around the house in nothing but a pair of short shorts and one of his old shirts. A man by himself became used to ignoring the usual bout of lust, but a man who was suddenly reminded that contrary to popular beliefs, he _did_ have hormones could become achingly aware that he had options.

He looked at Ayaka, noting the way her round breasts thrust against her flower-printed blouse. She was a voluptuous woman, with soft curves that were untouched by any kind of training. Without warning, Sakura's lean, but curvaceous figure drifted through his mind, the images of her naked breasts and creamy skin vividly real.

He shook his head slightly and returned his attention to Ayaka. "I don't think I should leave my guest alone," he finally told her.

She let out a deep breath. "Oh," she said, clearly dejected. "I see."

He was tempted to ask what she saw, but bit back the words, not wanting an outsider's opinion.

She let a brief chuckle and smiled brightly, brown eyes unable to hide the pain. "Oh, well," she laughed with a shrug. "If you change your mind . . ."

He wasn't going to and the indifference on his face made that glaringly obvious.

"You're welcome anytime," she finished lamely.

He nodded, tightening his grip around the basket. "I'll see you around, Ayaka."

"Goodbye," the pretty widow whispered as she watched his disappearing back. Rejection was a cruel realization and she knew she'd lost whatever chance she'd had. Foolishly, she wondered if she ever had one to begin with.

* * *

He'd been quiet ever since they returned from town. It wasn't unusual because he was _Sasuke_ and apparently thought his voice was made out of gold, but Sakura couldn't shake off the unnerving feeling that something was on his mind—and that something was her.

There was an intensity in the air and while Sakura pretended to be blind, she was achingly aware of the discreet glances he threw her way. She had never seen his black eyes so . . . _heated_. The way those dark orbs touched her skin was so scorching, she wanted to scream.

She finally had a reprieve when he went out to perform his daily routine of checking his traps. She'd declined his offer—grudgingly asked—to come along, unable to bear more of the sensations he made her feel.

While he was gone, she went out to the backyard and tried to focus on meditating, which was a misnomer because the whole point of the exercise was to not think of anything. After nearly an hour of _working_ on disregarding her jumbled thoughts, Sakura had enough and went inside to hang up her new clothes.

She was cleaning the fish for dinner when Sasuke walked in. After a brief glance that made her heart beat faster, he washed his hands and reached for the vegetables.

They worked together silently, but it wasn't the kind of silence that she was used to. The air sizzled with tension and she dearly wished for time to move faster. Everything seemed awkward and when his elbow accidentally bumped hers when he reached for the knife, she had to force herself not to jump. And from the corner of her eye, she saw the way his muscles strained, unaffected by the stillness as well.

During dinner, he didn't try to hide the way his eyes constantly went to her, searching her face for some unfathomable reason. She tried not to notice as she stuffed food in her mouth in a way that would have Naruto proud, nearly choking on her rice.

After she helped with the dishes, she excused herself with a quick murmur and fled into the bedroom she'd momentarily borrowed from Sasuke.

He watched her back as she disappeared into his bedroom, resisting the urge to chase after her. He knew that she was aware of the strange atmosphere between them and like himself, she too was unnerved. He wanted to chase after and tell her that if he had to suffer this—whatever it was—she did too.

In the bedroom, Sakura stripped off her clothes and went into the bathroom. She didn't even wait for the water to warm before she stepped under the shower. The cool water felt wonderful on her heated skin, slowly easing the tightness in her shoulders.

She sighed, placing her hands on the tiles and easing her weight on them. She wasn't a stupid girl, but where Sasuke was concerned, her much-acclaimed intelligence became almost worthless. It had always been like that and would, she feared, always be so.

Her brows puckered, droplets of bathwater caught on her eyelashes. She was used to intensity from Sasuke—hell, he was the walking poster-boy for that word. But she was mature enough to understand the kind of intensity coming from him now. She knew what those looks meant. They were the looks a man gave a woman and they told her that, like herself, he too was trying to fight it.

_Should_ they fight it? Sakura wondered. She'd always been good at resisting impulses, especially since she'd seen the results firsthand—Naruto. But silently, she'd always somewhat envied her blond friend's ability to act first and not think about it all later. She'd once asked Kakashi if Naruto had a death wish, but their former instructor had simply answered that stupidity had the fortunate ability of ignoring risks and she'd understood the quiet, admiring tone in the older man's voice. How did it feel to live daily without thinking of the future? Until Kakashi's answer, she'd never truly realized what an asset Naruto's recklessness could be.

The water had become warm, adding to the heat already suffused within her body. Her skin tingled all over and between her legs, there was an ache that she recognized as what it was—sexual desire.

She stayed in the shower until her fingers began to wrinkle, allowing the water to thoroughly soak her in hopes of washing away the physical throb. When the room began to almost suffocate from steam, she slowly turned off the water and stepped out.

She didn't switch on the bedroom lights, drying herself underneath the pale moonlight that slipped in through the open window along with the cool night breeze.

She wasn't aware of how much time had passed, but it while she laid in bed, the bed sheet pulled across her torso, that the door swung open. The light from outside cast a soft glow in the bedroom, highlighting Sasuke's tall, imposing figure.

She didn't move, but she knew that Sasuke was aware that she was awake. In the semi-darkness, his black eyes met hers and held them for a long time. Softly, he closed the door behind him.

His voice was quiet, but harsh within the silence of the room. "This wasn't what I had in mind when I asked you to stay."

"I know." And neither had it been in hers when she'd said "yes." She hadn't dared to think of anything beyond repairing a broken friendship.

He was now standing next to bed, battle-hardened face so incredibly handsome she ached at the sight of it. There was, she suddenly realized, a deep beauty to his loneliness and she wanted dearly to reach out and grasp it before it slipped between her fingers.

"Nothing will come out of this," he whispered seriously. "This will change nothing."

She nodded. Maybe so, but it would go a long way in settling curiosity, in answering questions that both had been afraid to ask. And while it would probably not mean much to him, Sakura knew she would carry the memory of this night for the rest of her life.

She'd always been the cautious one, the girl who had stood back to consider while others jumped headfirst into danger. But now . . . now it was her turn to take risks.

Without a word, she tossed aside the bed cover, revealing her naked flesh.

**To be continued**


	5. This Was Inevitable

First and foremost, thank you for the wonderful reviews. They tell me that you guys are really enjoying this story and serve to motivate me to write faster and better (hint, hint, wink, wink).

Secondly, there are several issues I would like to address:

1. While hopefully, there aren't that many grammar and spelling mistakes, I do realize there several present nonetheless. I try to go through my documents as much as I can before posting them, but somehow manage to miss any mistake from time to time. Therefore, I really do appreciate it when you guys point them out so that I may correct them.

2. Many of you had issues when you guys saw that I wrote Sasuke as a non-virgin. Trust me, I'm a hardcore Sasuke-Sakura shipper myself and it was rather hard for me to write either of them being with someone else. But I wanted to show growth (they have been apart for many, many years) and it didn't make sense for me to both of them to stay true to each other because a) Sasuke NEVER promised anything to Sakura (the cold-hearted asshole) and b) Sakura was TWELVE, people. Nonetheless, I appreciate your die-hard commitment to this pairing and hope that you understand that I had to make them the way I write them simply because it suited my story better.

3._ A Full Circle_ does move relatively fast because when I first started to write it more than two years ago I never planned it to be an epic, 50-chapter story. It'll be not-so-short and hopefully incredibly sweet.

4. Again, I started to write it two years ago and I plan to stick to the storyline that had played itself out in my head. Therefore, you'll probably see characters that had died in the manga alive in my story and the storyline not faithfully following the manga.

That's all for now. Again, thank you so much for your kind words. On with the story!

Oh, and yeah: this is the LEMON part. Revert your eyes, children, less I get into trouble.

* * *

**Chapter 5: This Was Inevitable**

Sasuke had seen, even touched Sakura's naked body before and although she hadn't said anything, he knew that she had done the same during his fever. But that had been out of necessity and he hadn't allow himself to look further. Now, however, there would no violations of trust, no breachings of privacy.

Now, he was allowed to gaze at her however long he wanted to without being accused of taking advantage.

And so he did. He stared unabashedly at her bared form, putting it into memory as his eyes roamed over her high, round breasts, her tiny waist and below, to the neat triangle of pink curls between her long, shapely legs.

His first assumption of her had been correct—she had grown into a beauty, with the long, lean lines of a kunoichi, but the soft, round curves of a woman. His body began to harden in reaction and his hand started to lift off his shirt.

Sakura had thought it would be awkward, but as she watched him deftly unclothed himself, she could detect no awkwardness. She wasn't shy of her body and she knew instinctively that he was hardly an untutored virgin. She didn't blink as his shirt fell to the floor, her eyes hungrily studying the chiseled muscles of his torso. His pants made a soft thud as they landed on the floor and there he was, in all of his naked glory, his body so beautifully sculpted, it almost hurt to look at him.

Neither made any attempt to switch on the light and under the cover of darkness, Sasuke slipped into the bed. Instantly, she felt the warmth of his body, his broad shoulders taking more than half the bed. His body was so close to hers, she could feel the rise and fall of each breath, hear the pounding of his heart and knew that he could also feel hers. And when his fingers cupped her face, his touch surprisingly tender, and tilted her chin upwards to receive his kiss, it struck her that while perhaps this wasn't right, it was inevitable.

His mouth was gentle at first, his lips lightly brushing hers as if to acquaint themselves. Then the pressure grew and she opened her mouth, tasting the sweetness of his tongue. There was no hesitation as they explored each other's mouth thoroughly and she let out a dreamy sigh, her own hands lifting to wrap around his strong neck. He pressed his body closer, letting his weight rest slightly on hers as he deepened the kiss, suckling on her tongue hungrily. She felt the heavy weight of his erection against her thigh and her own arousal tingled in reaction.

She jerked in surprise when his other hand slipped between them to cup her breast, and then relaxed as his fingers drew circles around her hardened nipple. She gasped with delight as his callused fingers moved over her warm skin, shifting from one globe to the next. He lifted and squeezed her breasts, deftly flicking each throbbing nipple until she wanted to scream under his wonderful mouth.

He broke the kiss with a muffled grunt, his open mouth drifting downwards to rest on her neck, where he bit and then sucked, his tongue laving over the slight twinge. She tilted her head to the side, her lids fluttering shut. She parted her legs and he moved until he laid completely on top of her, his slim hips resting perfectly between her thighs as if they belonged there. They both gasped as his arousal touched hers and she shifted restlessly underneath him to ease the aching desire.

They didn't speak; there were none of the soothing words or proclamations of love that had haunted her childish fantasies. Only the sounds of their increased breathing and fevered exclamations broke the silence between them.

Sakura threw back her head, a soft cry escaping her throat as Sasuke moved lower and took one round breast into his hot mouth. Her fingers tangled in his long hair and held on tightly as he nipped, licked and sucked firmly on her breast. A shiver ran down her spine and her back arched, pushing her breast deeper into his talented mouth. The pressure of his lips increased, almost to the point of pain, but she welcomed it, her quiet sighs encouraging him even further.

He switched his attention to the other breast as his hand moved lower, circling her navel briefly before possessively cupping the neat patch of curls at the groove of her thighs. She moaned and bucked against the incredible heat of his palm.

"Sasuke," she murmured raggedly, drawing up her knees and letting her legs fall open even wider. He accepted the silent invitation, the tip of his finger caressing her throbbing clit, moving around and around until she shouted at him that she wanted, _needed_ more.

Sasuke himself was on the edge of his patience, his body so hot he felt as if the bed were on fire. She felt wonderful underneath his hands, her skin silky-soft and warm to the touch. He felt the heat of her arousal and allowed himself to give in to temptation as his fingers moved lower to meet the opening of her body. Her pleasure-filled cry accompanied to slide of his fingers and his mouth jerked from her breast as he gritted his teeth. She was soaking wet and scorching hot and so incredibly tight that he groaned at the thought of how she would feel around his cock.

His mouth returned to hers, the kiss hungry and desperate as his tongue thrust in tandem with his fingers. Her hips bucked wildly, eagerly seeking for more. Unable to help herself, her hands fell onto his chest. She traced the hard muscles, felt the fluttering of his heart underneath her fingers. The strength evident in his masculine body was almost frightening. He could overwhelm her without effort if he chose. Iron-hard muscles ridged his flat belly, corded his rib cage and long thighs. Her hand drifted even lower, echoing his earlier movements as her palm impatiently traveled past his waist to his groin.

His male length was thick and full in her hand and she thrilled at his quiet groan even as she hungrily explored his cock. She wrapped her fingers around the hot staff, moving up and down as she listened to his grunts to learn how he liked to be touched. She ran her thumb over the tip of his erection, coating the throbbing heat with the pre-cum leaking from the tiny hole. The responding heat of her own blood, beating through her veins in rhythm with the throbbing in her loins, drove her crazy.

He added another finger inside her, basking in the clenching of the feminine walls as she surged upward against his hand with a wild little sound of delight. She writhed sinuously in his arms, her hips lifting and rolling in an ancient rhythm that called out to him as surely as a drumbeat. She was so tight, his stomach muscles clenched with almost unbearable anticipation. The scent of arousal hung heavily in the air and when her hand moved lower to cup his balls, he knew he couldn't stand it any longer. He would go mad if he didn't thrust himself into her sweet depths.

He jerked away from her touch with a harsh groan, lifting his head to look at her. In the dim light of the room, her green eyes glowed with unfulfilled passion, her soft, gleaming lips parted as she met his gaze. She moaned and sank her nails into his chest. "Now." Her voice was hoarse. "Now now now _now!_"

The explicit curse that fell from his lips was crude and self-explanatory. He spread her thighs wide and mounted her, his hard weight pressing her into his mattress as his rigid length pushed against the soft heat of her intimate flesh. Their eyes held as he drew back slightly so that the tip of cock touched the opening of her body. The force of his body grew and he pushed.

Her nails dug deeper into his skin and she threw back her head with a jagged cry. A tiny muscle in his cheek twitched as he increased the pressure. He didn't take it easy with her. His penetration was inexorable; invading, stretching, forcing her soft sheath to accept and hold his turgid length.

She arched wildly, unaware of the mewling whimpers that escaped her throat. He was so big, she felt as if she would break into two. The stretched, too-full sensation was unbearable, yet she bore it because the only alternative was to stop, and that was impossible. His sharp hip bones bit into her skin but if there was any pain, she didn't feel it as he thrust into her to the hilt and began to move.

Sasuke braced himself on his arms above her, his face savage as he withdrew almost all the way and then slammed back in, jarring the bed. The strong lines of his face were drawn into a harsh frown as he fought for control. Sweat beaded on his forehead, dripping into his black eyes. Her pussy was tight around his cock, but there was no resistance. The thought flashed briefly through his mind before the exquisite feel of her was mind-shattering, like hot silk, wet and incredibly soft, overtook him.

Sakura was nearly mindless with need. The hard planes of his chest crushed her breasts; his hands slid under her and gripped her buttocks with bruising force as he lifted her into his violent thrusts, and sharp pleasure exploded through her. She clung to him, sobbing and gasping and half screaming.

Grinding his teeth, he fought his own climax and rode her hard, intensifying her spasms of release. Gradually, she stopped shaking and the frantic tension eased from her muscles, letting her relax in his powerful arms. A soft, almost purring note sounded in her throat. "Sasuke," she whispered, just his name, and the lazy pleasure in her voice almost sent him over the edge.

His response was a guttural groan and he rose to his knees, his features dark with suppressed desire. It was his turn, and his need was so savage he could barely control it. He hooked his arms under her legs and leaned forward, bracing himself on his hands with her legs forced high and wide, draped over his arms. She was completely vulnerable to him like this, totally unable to limit the depth of his thrusts, and he took full advantage of it. He drove into her hard and fast, his brutal pounding shaking the bed, making the springs squeak. His powerful shoulders hunched with the effort as he hammered into her, and the pleasure hit him just as it had her, without warning, slamming into him like a chidori to the stomach. He jerked convulsively under the force of it, a harsh, animalistic cry ripping from his throat. The spasms went on and on as he emptied his white-hot seed into the welcoming depths of the woman beneath him.

When it finally ended, he sank heavily onto her, his chest heaving as his tortured lungs fought for air. His heart thudded frantically in his chest, and he was so weak he couldn't roll away from her. He'd never felt such helplessness, but at this moment, he couldn't find the strength to hate himself—or her—for it.

She didn't protest his weight, her arms wrapped around his sweaty shoulders with trusting comfort as she allowed the drowsy haze to overtake her. And Sasuke, with all of his trust issues and self-containment, remained buried within her body as he too joined her in sleep.

* * *

She wasn't a virgin.

That was the first thought that came into Sasuke's mind as he woke up from his light doze and moved so that his weight would no longer crush her into the mattress.

She wasn't a virgin. Her lack of a hymen could be explained by her job, but he knew that wasn't it. She had been too comfortable; there had been no shyness that came with the first time of exposing her body completely to a man. She wasn't a virgin and he found himself irrationally bothered by it.

He knew he didn't have the right to be upset, but a part of him, the arrogant, possessive male that willingly admitted he was the bastard that Naruto had always said he was felt justifiably irate that she had allowed herself to be touched intimately by a man—or _men_.

Sakura chose that moment to wake up, stretching like a lazy feline with a delicate yawn. She rolled onto her side and lifted her head, a contented smile on her lovely face. The smile quickly disappeared when she saw the expression on his face. Large green eyes studied him closely.

"There was only one man." Her voice was quiet, but clear in the heavy stillness of the bedroom.

There was no point in denying it, Sasuke decided. There was a look in her eyes, the kind that was an age-old feminine wisdom that all female, whether child or woman, seemed to possess.

"Do you want to know who it is?" she asked softly.

He turned away from her understanding gaze, looking up at the ceiling. He didn't want to know, but maybe he did.

She leaned against him, pressing her firm, round breasts against his muscled arm. She raised a hand, lazily trailing her fingers across his bare chest. "It was Shikamaru," she announced with a soft smile. "He was the only safe one—the others would have expected more from me. Things I couldn't give." She let out a brief laugh. "He understood me—more than anyone. We had a wonderful time, but it's over. It's been over for months."

"Stop." Sasuke clenched his teeth, unable to push aside the heaviness in his chest. He'd thought it'd be fine, but having a name to put on the face pained him more than he cared to admit.

"I didn't wait," Sakura said gently. _Neither did you_ were the words left unspoken.

He let out a sigh. "I'm a bastard." And he was. He didn't have the right to feel angry about anything.

She shrugged, as if it weren't news to her and he smiled slightly.

She lifted herself higher so he'd have no choice but to look at her. Her gaze searched and found his. "I didn't wait," she repeated. "_Should_ I have waited, Sasuke?"

He didn't answer immediately because as much as he wanted to deny it, he couldn't ignore that a part of him, the boy who had once been her teammate, who had protected her from enemy nin, who had nearly killed an opponent for bruising her face, and who had stood by as she confessed her undying love, had always thought of her as _his_. Bonds had long been broken, fragile friendships swiftly shattered, but he'd always expected her to stay as _his_.

"No." His voice was low and guttural. He turned on his side, pulling her close with bruising intensity. "No."

And as he climbed on top of her, his hands roaming her slim body and stoking the passionate fire that had yet to be put out, he told himself that he wasn't trying to erase the presence of the man that had gone before him.

**To be continued**


	6. Id's Pursuits

Okay, people, forewarned is forearmed: here's where I reiterate that I DO NOT write stories for children. From the chapter's title, you could/should guess what this chapter is mostly about: sex, sex and yes, more sex. Seriously. I can't stress this enough. It's not even the bed-of-roses, Mills and Boon's kind of a sex. It's raw, detailed, filled with words and phrases that only adults should know, and bordering on crude. If you've read any of my other stuff, you'd know what I mean.

Non-lemon readers, please, PLEASE avert your eyes.

Read, enjoy and review!

* * *

**Chapter 6: Id's Pursuits**

If time moved after that first night, Sakura wasn't aware. Sex with Sasuke was all-consuming. It felt to her that they rarely left the bed, except for necessary visits to the bathroom and kitchen for sustenance. Even then, sex was still on the table—literally. She would still blush as she recalled the heated look in his obsidian eyes as they shared leftovers from the same plate just minutes before he bent her over the kitchen table. She would never look at that simple, steady piece of furniture the same again.

It was unfair, really. Other than that small problem of his psychotic determination for fratricide, his frighteningly-dark personal issues, and his apparent desire to live like a hermit, Sasuke was the perfect man. He was good at _everything_. One would have thought that he would be a cold lover, but that was so far from the truth it was laughable. Sakura learned firsthand that Sasuke made love—_had sex_—the same way he acted on the battlefield: with the full force of his powerful body. There wasn't an inch of her body that he didn't touch, lick, bite, suck, and invade. He would whisper things in her ear that could be so absolutely filthy at times they were undeniably sexy. He would bend and twist her body into acrobatic positions, testing both of their limberness. He would be as dominating as she knew him to be, or as lazy as a pasha as he made her do all the work while he rested on his back. He would give and God, he would _take_. She allowed it all.

Hell, she craved it.

But that didn't mean she remained subservient. Oh, no. Sakura gave it as good as she received and judging from his throaty cries and deep growls, he enjoyed it as much as she did. Granted, while her experiences were limited to one man, she'd never felt such sexual freedom. He allowed her—and even if he hadn't, he eventually did—to explore to her heart's desire, to find and test her boundaries in sex. She didn't know if she should feel ashamed—she didn't—but she discovered that she didn't have many boundaries. At least, when it came to him. His reactions to her were so encouraging and he gave her pointers to matters that were rather foreign to her. He taught her the things he liked, the places he liked to be touched the most and how to touch them.

She'd never thought she would enjoy giving blow-jobs so much. _That_ was how good it was with Sasuke.

At one point—she believed it was in the afternoon because the room was particularly warm, or it could have been just her—she was afraid that her screams would tear down the house he'd so carefully built. She was on all fours (a position that didn't feel demeaning to her) and he was behind her, one arm propped next to her to support his weight while his other hand roughly fondled her tits. His movements were hard and fast as he pounded into her in such a way that if she hadn't been a shinobi, he would have damned well broken her pelvis. Grunts and profanities slipped from his lips, mixing with the cries that escaped from her own throat. His cock was huge and hot and throbbing within her and impossibly, she felt as if he'd grown larger since they last had sex—all about thirty minutes ago.

As she cried out for mercy—he showed her none—she felt the hand he used to prop himself up move from the mattress to wander down her slick back. It slid lower and lower until it rested between the cheeks of her ass. Her torso jerked and she instinctively tried to flee. He calmed her down—but he didn't move his hand.

"Sasuke . . ."

"I won't do anything you're not ready for," he murmured.

She relaxed, the momentary panic dissolving as he continued with his deep thrusts. Soon she was whimpering again as she lost herself to the incredible pleasure of him moving within her. She tried to muffle the sounds by biting the pillow but it seemed the more she tried to control them, the more determined Sasuke became to ring out cries after cries from her.

The muscles of her pussy contracted around his cock, causing Sasuke to grit his teeth as he pounded into her from behind. His hand was still in the cleft of her buttocks, his thumb fondling the sensitive area around her rosebud.

"Oh . . . oh . . . _oh,_" Sakura sobbed, her fingers clenched around the bed sheet so strongly she was sure she was going to tear it apart. The combination of his hand on her breast, his fingers fondling _that_ area and his hard cock within her were driving her crazy.

Then he slipped his thumb in her ass, and she went off like one of those stupid homemade rockets that had nearly caused Inuzuka Kiba his arm.

"Fuck!" Sasuke growled above Sakura's ear-splitting scream as her pussy milked him for all it was worth.

He slammed into her one last time and his throat emitted a raw, unbridled sound as he released his white-hot seed into her.

Sakura grunted as he collapsed on her back, too far gone to complain about his weight.

Sex was with Sasuke was a religious experience. Seriously. She'd never before called out God's name so many times.

* * *

Early morning light was seeping through the windows when Sakura rolled over in bed and discovered the empty spot next to her. She was vaguely aware that two nights had passed. She would have been surprised at herself if she didn't feel too damn good to care.

Bleary green eyes opened and studied the indentation that Sasuke's head had left on the pillow beside hers. His side of the bed was still warm so he must had just left it. She grabbed his pillow, cuddled it close to her and went back to sleep.

When she next opened her eyes she was greeted with his bare back as he slipped on a pair of pants by the dresser. Green orbs traced the long, jagged-looking scar that ran down his back to the front of his rib. Though she didn't know its origin, she was rather intimately familiar with that scar. She'd licked it, from front to back. He'd seemed to enjoy that.

She must have made a noise because he turned around as he was tying the strings of his trousers and her mouth went dry. His hair was damp from the shower he'd taken and tiny droplets were dripping down his shoulders to follow the ridges of his oh-so-delicious abs. She'd licked those too. He'd _definitely_ enjoyed that.

"Going somewhere?" she asked, her voice raspy from sleep. They hadn't really left the bed for the better part of two days.

"I'm going to check the traps and do some training," he answered, pulling out a black T-shirt from one of the drawers. Though he was no longer an _active_ shinobi, a person never _stopped_ becoming a shinobi. It was in the blood, in the very essential makeup of one's being. This was no different for Sasuke. He would usually train every day, but since Sakura came—pun intended—he realized he hadn't trained in _days_. What really bothered him was that he couldn't find it within himself to care so much.

Sakura pouted as he slipped the shirt over his head, effectively covering up that wonderful torso. She stretched lazily, causing the sheet to slide down to her waist.

Sasuke swallowed hard as his gaze was instantly drawn to her pink nipples. She saw his reaction and smiled mischievously.

"Sure you want to go _out_ to train?" she teased, feeling sexy. "We could have our own . . . exercise right here."

Despite himself, a corner of his mouth lifted as he approached the bed. She looked so damned welcoming, all warm and unabashedly naked while lying in his bed that he was actually tempted to rejoin her.

As he stood over her, his hand automatically reach out to cup and fondle her round breasts. She arched her back and purred like a well-fed kitten. Her nipples hardened beneath his palm and damn if he couldn't resist lowering his head to run his tongue over one pink bud.

"Oh, Sasuke," she breathed throatily.

He lifted his head and although he was scowling, his jet-black eyes were gleaming in a way she'd come to love.

"You're dangerous," he accused lowly, his tone so disgruntled it made her chuckle.

"I can show you how much if you come back to bed," she invited seductively.

He jerked away as if she were on fire. "Come on," he said gruffly. "You're coming with me."

"What?" She blinked. "You want me to train with you?" she asked, unable to keep the excitement from her voice.

"Sure." He smirked. "We'll see if you're still up for some _exercise_ after I kick your ass."

She threw aside the covers with a squeal. Oh, it was _so_ on!

* * *

They checked the traps first. None were bothered except for one, which a shivering, frightened rabbit had caught. It was still alive, but clearly hurt. Sasuke had suggested making stew for dinner, but since they had a refrigerator-full of food, Sakura glared at him until he rolled his eyes and grudgingly declared that he'd let the small creature go. He rolled his eyes again as she healed the rabbit's broken leg before crying out, "Run, bunny, run, or else big, bad Sasuke will eat you!"

They finally came to an area he'd had cleared for training purposes. She noted the kunai and burnt marks on the surrounding trees.

She looked at him as he walked until he stood a few feet away, facing her. Anticipation bubbled within her at the idea of going against him in a match. She wasn't stupid—in fact, she was very smart—and she wasn't arrogant enough to believe that she was on par with him with her shinobi skills. No matter what, Sasuke would always be one step—if not more—ahead of her in that department. But she was a far cry from the untrained girl she'd been the last time they sparred and while she couldn't beat him, she knew he wouldn't have an easy victory either (if at all).

She continued to stare at him, at the way his jaw flexed, at the way he was looking at her as if he were planning every attack. Knowing Sasuke, that was probably true. And knowing Sasuke, he'd be so intense and caught up with their match that neither of them would have any fun. Truth be told, she wasn't sure if he knew that what that word meant unless it was in the context of blood and gore and torture.

"What?" Sasuke demanded when she stared at him a tad too long.

"You're not going to kick my ass," she told him.

He raised an eyebrow.

"Let me put it this way, Sasuke," Sakura explained with a sigh, "you enjoy having sex with me."

It was statement, not a question, but Sasuke nodded either way. He wasn't going to deny it.

"And I like having sex with you," Sakura continued.

"What's your point?"

She placed her hand on one hip and jutted her chest out slightly, giving him a pointed look when his gaze drifted briefly to her breasts. "If you hurt me or break something I'll have to use extra energy to heal, I'll be too cranky to have sex. In fact, I'll be so cranky, you'll probably spend the remainder of my stay being frustrated and getting reacquainted with your hands."

Sasuke was slightly taken aback by her bluntness, as it reminded him—again—that she was no longer the teammate he'd left all those years ago. That Sakura wouldn't dream of talking to him so openly, let alone on the topic of sex.

But he saw the dilemma though. She wouldn't be able to defeat him—both of them knew this—but she would put up a good fight. If anything, her stubborn nature would allow nothing less. And Sasuke, who hadn't faced a worthwhile opponent for a quite some time, was eager to test his skills against hers. He'd heard the rumors—every self-respecting shinobi had. Specially trained by a Legendary Sannin who was also the Hokage of one of the most powerful shinobi villages, and also by some of the most infamous ninjas in the world: Hatake Kakashi, Yamato and _Morino Ibiki, for fuck's sake_—Sakura was an Elite. Through the years, Sasuke had purposely gone out of his way to avoid hearing about his former village and its residents so the stories that _did_ reach him were thus too much of a big deal to miss. Once, he'd picked up a Bingo Book and found descriptions of his ex-teammates; while he hadn't been shocked to find both Kakashi and Naruto in the Book, he'd been surprised to read that Sakura was also an important target, the reward for her closely matching Naruto's.

When he asked her to train with him this morning, it hadn't been on a whim or concern that she would get bored being alone in his house—he was absolutely curious. She wasn't twelve anymore—that's for damn sure—but a twenty-three-year-old experienced kunoichi who had been the first among her peers to have taken down an Akatsuki member. That was no small feat; he obviously knew this from experience. And while she and Sasuke had never gone to head-to-head, he still recalled the blow she'd landed on him a few days ago. It had been painful as hell.

He wasn't noble enough to deny he wanted to pay her back for that.

However, her words rang through his head. He hadn't foreseen this problem when he asked her to train with him, but it was a problem nonetheless.

"Fuck."

She gave him an amused smile and teased, "We'll see."

"How are we going to do this then?" he asked impatiently, unwilling to give up the idea of training with her.

The irony of it all wasn't lost on him.

"I propose this," Sakura spoke, reclaiming his attention. "Taijutsu-orientated only. You can only win by pinning your opponent's shoulders flat on the ground for three seconds. The first one with the most pins win."

"Rules?"

"Since neither of us will probably be able to help it, basic weapons and basic chakra are allowed. But _only_ the basics. I won't pick up a tree to throw at you and you're not allowed to use those red-eye thingies."

"They're _not_ red-eye . . ." Sasuke stopped when he saw the way she was smiling, knowing that she had purposely used those words to rile him up. The bitch. "How are we going to know when to stop? We could be pinning each other all day."

"You would like that, wouldn't you?" she mocked. She chewed on her bottom lip as she thought about it. A moment later, she snapped her fingers and said, "I got it! With every pin, we take off an article of clothing. The first one to get naked loses."

Sasuke gave her an incredulous look—which meant raising both eyebrows. "Are you serious? You want to train like that?"

Sakura couldn't help but laugh. "Come on, Sasuke! Don't you want to see me naked?"

He gave her another look, one that indicated how he felt about the stupidity and redundancy of her question.

"You want to have sex with me _that_ much?" he asked.

She would have taken offense if she hadn't been so pleased that he had actually made a joke, as small as it was. She pretended to pout. "Fine," she huffed. "If you don't like the idea, we can always try to beat each other up to a pulp and see how we feel later . . ."

There was a moment of a silence before Sasuke spoke.

"Explain your idea further."

Sakura bit back a triumphant grin. "One article of clothing for each pin. Clothes include our outerwear and underwear—"

"No underwear."

This time, it was Sakura who raised her eyebrows. "Really? And you seriously thought you were going to train sans underwear?"

"I haven't had time to do the laundry," Sasuke replied defensively. "If you recall—my unexpected houseguest is quite a handful."

"I didn't hear any complains before." At his warning growl, Sakura lifted her hands and said, "Fine, fine. Don't get your boxes in a wad—oops, I forgot! You're not wearing any."

"Sakura."

"How about we do this: my bra and panties will count as one item. We'll count in the kunai pouch as an article of clothing. So with my clothes, my underwear, my armband and the pouch—that's five. Your clothes, your pouch and each of your wristbands—that's five as well. Five-five. Is that okay? Or do you want to toss in the bindings as well?"

Sasuke thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Five sounds reasonable."

"Five it is. Loser does what the winner wants."

This time, Sasuke snorted. As if the result of this match, regardless of the winner, would end up in anything but sex.

"Are you ready?"

Instead of answering her verbally, Sasuke disappeared. Before she knew it, he was beside her. "You never said anything about speed," he reminded her in a low tone.

She dodged his punch and deftly caught his roundhouse kick with her hands. She smiled at his surprised look before releasing his leg with a small amount of chakra. It was enough to push him several feet away. She raised her hands, assuming her fighting position.

"Let's dance, Sasuke."

* * *

Sakura panted heavily as she rested momentarily against the bark of a semi-splintered tree. The training area was almost a different place altogether now—trees no longer stood as high as they had been before, the grounds were shattered and exposed and most of the foliage was burnt. The muscles of her body were trembling with exhaustion, her pulse was racing in a painful staccato and the adrenaline rushing through her blood was nearly disorientating.

It was amazing.

As expected, Sasuke was a formidable opponent. Even holding back, he was a force to be reckoned with. Everything he did was calculated in ways to defeat her, every punch, kick and throw of a weapon were made in the effort to catch her off her guard.

And Kami, he was so fast! His speed simply astonished her. Kakashi had once spoken of his teacher, the fourth Hokage and Naruto's father: _"Blink and you'll miss it."_ The term definitely applied to Sasuke as well. It was rather frightening at how he seemed to defy the measure of speed given to man. She had trained with Kakashi, Lee and even Gai-sensei—Sasuke was a whole other level compared to them in terms of how fast he could move.

But she knew she had surprised him as well. She had taken great pleasure with the expression on his face when she shattered the grounds beneath him and the trees behind him. He had cursed as he dodged the leaves, rocks and weapons she had used as weapons in a special jutsu she had developed, turning them into instruments so sharp they would immediately bury into the bone. And she had done all this with a minimal, but precisely-controlled amount of chakra—in this, she would always be above Sasuke, and they both knew it.

She peered past the position she was in to the clearing before her. Sasuke was there somewhere, waiting for her. She could sense his chakra but she couldn't pinpoint it. She made a mental reminder to ask him about this later; how did he manage to spread his chakra all over the place? It fairly encompassed the entire area without giving his position away. It was a pure intimidation tactic.

She had to be careful; currently she was down to three items: her underwear, her tights and her kunai pouch. Her armband had disappeared somewhere in a pile of rocks and her shirt was swaying from the branch of a tree—the latter had been the first item to come off, but she hadn't minded. Her boobs bouncing around was a wonderful distraction with Sasuke, even though he didn't admit it. He was also down to three pieces of clothing, as both of his bands were gone. They were even, but she had a feeling it wouldn't be for long.

A kunai whizzed past her, embedding itself in the spot just above her head. She smiled. He was getting bored of waiting. She shared the sentiment, but she had more patience—she had waited for him all these years, hadn't she?

Her gaze move to the direction the kunai came from and she caught a glimpse of black hair. It was on purpose, of course, his way of telling her to come out.

"You first," she muttered under her breath, clutching her own kunai tightly. She resisted the urge to dig into her pouch for her modified gloves, her favorite weapon of choice. They had retractable knuckle knives, influenced by the late Sarutobi Asuma. She and Sasuke had already broken some of the rules; she'd caught the swirls of his Sharingan when she created a crater in the ground and she'd had actually lifted a twelve-foot tree before she realized she wasn't supposed to use her super strength. She could have caused great damage because Sasuke had been too shocked and too absorbed with watching her to move. The entire thing had been quite comical, really.

The hint of dark hair disappeared and she turned away, sharpening her senses. It was damn hard because his chakra was all over the place. She should have specified this rule further by allowing only _genin_-level of chakra, instead of basic-level. _Their_ basic level wasn't the same as other shinobi's.

"Oof!" she gasped as her legs were dragged from underneath her. Before she knew it, she was flat on her back and a kunai was pressed to her throat. Sasuke smirked down at her.

Another pair of hands held her shoulders flat to the earthy floor while two other Sasukes held each of her legs down.

"Goddammit!" she hissed, resisting the urge to use her massive strength.

"Pin," all four Sasukes declared smugly.

With a roar, she swiped her kunai in an arch. Three Sasukes disappeared but the one that had been holding her left leg jumped back to avoid the tip of her weapon and the chakra trailing from it.

"Your pouch," Sasuke demanded.

She ripped the item from her waist, tossed it to the ground and pounced at him all in one move. Instead of flickering away, he met her blows and for a moment, the clearing was filled with sounds of grunts, flesh colliding with flesh and weapons clanking against one another.

Sasuke cursed as Sakura's knuckles grazed his knee and the pain reverberated in his bone, nearly fracturing it. Like any good shinobi, he embraced the pain. He wasn't bleeding much, just shallow cuts, but several parts within his body felt as if they were on fire thanks to her hits.

Despite his irritation, he felt fascinated by Sakura. The intensity in her green eyes, the fluidity of her movements, her physical power and her obviously deep knowledge of the human body—he couldn't suppress the admiration. Had she always been capable of this? As self-absorbed as he had been, he would have definitely paid attention to her during their time as teammates if she had displayed these skills.

He threw a couple of smoke bombs into the air and taking advantage of the distraction, swung his fist towards her face. She blocked the strike and then quickly dodged another strike to the side, using his arm and her agility to somersault over his head. Her leg shot out and she yelled a triumphant, "Yosh!" as it landed on the spot between his shoulder blades.

He caught himself before he fell and dashed back to her, sweeping his leg underneath his feet. She jumped but he had expected this. He leapt high into the air and blurred until he was behind her. His foot connected with the back of her head and he was already speeding after her as she fell forward.

He straddled her back the moment she landed. With a firm grip, he flipped her around. His hands rushed to her shoulders but before he could pin them both to the ground, she simultaneously head-butted him and kicked out both legs, effectively throwing him several feet away.

Sakura panted as she scrambled to her feet. She grinned despite her throbbing head. She had been right to choose a taijutsu-based fight; they were more than well-matched in this. And she could easily admit that relying heavily on fists and legs rather than genjutsu or ninjutsu gave her a therapeutic feeling.

Sasuke once again rushed towards her and thinking swiftly, Sakura swung her fist downwards. The ground shattered and jagged dunes formed upwards, disrupting Sasuke's momentum. He flew backwards—and promptly landed on his back as he caught a blow to the stomach and six Sakuras held him down firmly.

"You didn't think you were the _only_ one who could use clones, did you?" she mocked as the necessary three-counts passed. "Pin, asshole."

Sasuke growled, twisting in the air to return to a fighting position.

"Your shirt, please," she sing-sang.

He complied and smirked when he saw the way her eyes followed the lines of his torso. Her gaze finally returned to his but instead of blushing (as he'd expected), she let out a long, low whistle and said, "Hubba-hubba."

He shook his head, mirth bubbling within him despite himself. He tossed the shirt at her, which she caught neatly.

"Continue," he commanded just before he launched at her and once more, they started to dance.

_"Pin."_

Sasuke panted harshly as he pressed his palm to the side of his bare upper body, wondering if one of his ribs was broken. He rolled off of Sakura, his gaze never leaving hers. Breathing just as hard as he, her face was red and her green orbs were flashing something fierce as she hissed like a spiteful cat. There was no more laughter in those eyes as she scrambled to her feet.

Without waiting for him to speak, she grabbed the waist of her tight shorts and shoved them past her hips.  
Sasuke stiffened as she revealed her panties. The lace-and-silk boy-cut garment matched her ice-blue bra—the set wasn't something a kunoichi normally wore but Sakura had admitted a few days ago that she always wore pretty underwear underneath her shinobi uniforms. It made her, she had told him simply, feel pretty. He thought it was ridiculous; prettiness was not necessary on the battlefield, unless the mission actually called for it.

But he certainly appreciated her choice of apparel.

Something snapped within him at sight of her so scantily clad. Without thinking, he darted forward.

Sakura let out a breathless sound as Sasuke's broad shoulders suddenly buried themselves painfully in her midsection. She fell back, him atop of her, and she didn't overlook how he placed his hands underneath her to lighten the impact.

She struggled wildly. She was _not_ going to allow her stupid distraction with taking off her pants to cause her defeat.

"You bastard—oomph!"

Her cutting words were interjected by the unexpected presence of his mouth of hers. He took the opportunity of her open mouth to slide his tongue in, his hands grasping her wiggling hips. Instinctively, her own hands crept up to clasp his shoulders as she responded to the hard, passionate kiss.

"Oh," she moaned, pulling him closer, tilting her head to the side as their tongues battled for dominance.

He increased the pressure of his weight on her, pressing her deeper into the ground. His chest crushed her nearly bare breasts, their shirtless torsos creating a delicious friction as they rubbed against each other.  
His hands moved again; one crept up her chest to slide beneath the soft lace of her bra. He cupped and fondled her breasts, tweaking the nipples into tight buds. She let out a mewling sound, arching her body into his touch.  
His other hand slid down her sweat-slickened belly to slip past the waistband of her panties. Without much warning, he thrust two fingers into the warm cleft of her pussy.

He groaned. Fuck, she was _wet. This_ was why kunoichis made the best bed partners; they didn't shy away from fights and the pain that came along—they _thrived_ on them.

He thrust his fingers deeper, the accompanying squelching sound music to his ears. Unbidden, a low growl escaped his throat. He wanted her—and he wanted her _now_. He pressed the bottom half of his body on her, making sure she would feel the impression of his hardness even through his pants. She responded in kind and they both stilled when his length slipped between her cleft.

Sasuke broke the kiss, his black eyes ablaze as he lifted his head and stared down at her. She was panting for breath, her lips swollen and her eyes just as passion-filled as his. His withdrew his hands from her underwear and grasped her shoulders.

For a moment, Sakura thought of yielding. It was past noon—hours had gone by since they started this match. She was tired, but even more so, she was, for the lack of a better word, horny. It would be so easy to give in, to give Sasuke his victory and in return, be a winner as well.

She almost gave in. _Almost_.

At the last minute, just before he could hold her shoulders down for the three-count, she swung her arm and elbowed him in the face.

"Fuck!" he roared, clearly frustrated as he was thrown off of her.

She gracefully flipped to her feet, knees bent as she posed in a defensive mode. She nearly gulped at the expression on his face. The narrowing of his too-dark eyes, the tightening of his facial muscles and the way his jaw was clenched; his entire body was all but vibrating, his aura incredibly heavy—he was barely holding on to his control. She had pushed him and she was going to pay the price for it.

He let out a battle cry and lunged at her. She crossed her arms to block his kick and was barely fast enough to catch his knee to her gut. Weapons and chakra were no longer used as they continued to fight—they had entered a pure, raw, hand-to-hand combat. His blows were so quick she couldn't even parry; she could only defend herself, her legs shaking under the intensity of his hits.

He darted around her, attacking parts of her that were open. She hissed as he caught her with a kick to the small of her back. She did a handstand, feeling the brush of his hands around her ankles. His fists were flying so furiously, her eyes couldn't follow the movements.

"Oomph!" she groaned as he punched her in the sternum. She was in mid-air when she felt his arms surround her and then they were plunging to the ground. Like before, he made sure they fell in a way to minimize the impact, but even then she felt the earth break a little.

He didn't waste time; the moment they landed, he straddled her, his knees and thighs pushing her legs down while one hand held both of her wrists together. The other arm flew across her shoulders, pinning them to the grassy floor.

She looked up; his incredibly handsome features were tight, hard and unforgiving. They were both breathing laboriously. For a brief second, she considered making a run for it, into the forest where she could regroup. But she knew it would be futile; he would chase after her—and he would win.

"I yield," she finally declared breathlessly. "I yield, Sasuke!"

Whatever last thread of control he'd been holding onto severed at her words. He let out a deep, fearsome sound and not allowing either of them to calm down, he acted.

Sakura cried out as, still grasping her wrists, he split open her undergarments. The torn halves of her bra dangled uselessly at her sides while her panties went flying over his shoulders. Before she could reprimand him—those were brand new and _they were pretty_—, he leaned down and covered her mouth with his.

The kiss was brutal; he punished her with his lips and teeth. His thrust his tongue deep into her mouth, forcing hers to comply as he suckled on it. She moaned and tilted her head back to accept the kiss, her heart beating like a maddening thing.

The hand not holding hers slid down her body, trailing down her vulnerable throat and then to her slick breasts. He roughly fondled her tits, squeezing her nipples into hard points. She groaned and arched under his strong, supple fingers, taking pleasure in his aggressiveness despite herself.

She was so consumed by his kisses and touches that she didn't notice the strings wrapping around her held wrists. It wasn't until he pushed in chakra into the strings that she snapped to attention, her eyes flying wide open.

"Sasuke!" she protested, pulling away and wriggling against the binding. "What the hell—!"

"Insurance," he growled as he attempted to take her mouth again. "So you won't run away."

"That's ridiculous!" she denied even though the thought did cross her mind. "I'm not going to renege!"

"I'm not going to take the chance." He pressed his lips to hers. "Sakura, open your mouth—_now_."

Silly her—she didn't bother to protest again. Secretly, she was kind of interested with the whole bondage thing. She briefly wondered if he would allow her to the same to him later.

Her attention was pulled back as Sasuke took her mouth. It felt as if he were trying to swallow her whole. He thrust his tongue deep into her mouth, forcing hers to comply. He nipped at her bottom lip, which was already swollen. All the while he continued to touch her where he wanted, how he wanted, trying—without much difficulty—to force out her breathless gasps.

Sakura shrieked into his mouth when he slid two fingers into her pussy without much warning. Sasuke groaned as her juices instantly coated his digits and she felt the rush of blood to her cheeks when the sounds of his fingers moving within her accompanied her whimpering moans.

As his mouth continued to ravage hers, he added another finger deep inside of her. In reaction, the warm, wet walls of her vagina clenched tightly around him. He ignored the restriction and thrust his fingers in and out wildly, not at all like the methodical way he'd done previously.

He tore his mouth away and both of them eagerly sucked in fresh air. With her hands bounded together, it was easier for him to touch her without limitation. The palm of his free hand possessively roamed across the planes and curves of her body, touching them as if they belonged to him.  
Here and now, it was probably true.

Lowering his head, he pushed her breast upward and ran the flat of his tongue over one pointed nipple. He licked and then nipped at the pink bud before opening his mouth to envelop nearly the entire pale mound. She arched her back and her fingers twisted together as he suckled hard, using his teeth to add pain to the pleasure.

Desire rose to a fever pitch within her as he continued his twin assault of sucking her tit and thrusting his fingers in her pussy. It felt as if he didn't know what he wanted first; he did whatever that came to mind, whatever that gave them both pleasure.

He shifted his body so that he lay completely on top of her, his slim hips resting between her thighs. She felt the impression of his long, hard cock through the pants he still wore on the inside of her leg and moaned with desire. She needed him so badly—couldn't he _just_ get _on_ with it!

He used his hips to move back and forth on top of her, pressing himself heavier and heavier. She writhed uncontrollably, her arms jerking and her legs trembling.

"Sasuke . . ." it was plea for more.

He released her breast and withdrew his fingers simultaneously. She shrieked her disapproval, bowing outwards to pull him back.

He disappeared for a moment; she craned her neck and saw that he was removing the last article of his clothing. His movements were jerky and he cursed when his shaking fingers couldn't quite grasp the buttons. She had to smile at that; she wasn't the only one who was feeling impatient.

Finally, he managed to unbutton his pants and he moved the black cloth over his hips and down his legs, rising slightly so that they were completely off. He tossed them away carelessly. She too, didn't notice where the pants went—her attention was focused all too intently on the awesome appendage rising to his navel.

He would probably kill her if she were to voice her opinion out loud, but his penis was undoubtedly a thing of beauty. Longer than most men she'd ever seen—and she'd seen quite a number, considering her career—his cock was smooth and supple as the rest of him as it rose from a thick nest of black hair. Hard and throbbing, the veins running through his erection were clearly visible. The pulsating head was red and she could see the precum that gathered at the tip. His balls swayed with each movement, heavy with the seed waiting to fill her. Her mouth practically watered at the sight of him. She marveled at how something so hard could be so soft and how dangerous it could be when wielded well—and he wielded it very, very well.

He noticed where her gaze was and that damnable smirk tilted his lips. He returned to lie on top of her, his now-bared penis pressing against her inner thigh, leaving a trail of moisture on her hot skin.

He lowered his head to hers and their mouths crashed together in a duel of tongues. She whimpered underneath his oral assault, feeling the fire sizzling through her veins.

His hands moved to her legs and grabbing each knee, he pushed them up and away. She was placed in a lewd position, her legs held completely apart so that every inch of her rosy pussy was revealed, her tied hands above her head and pushing her breasts forward.

He released her bee-stung lips and she cried out as he disappeared again. But it was brief. She felt the brush of his sweat-dampened hair against her belly and arched her back, knowing and eagerly anticipating what was coming.

He didn't disappoint.

Prying the swollen lips of her vulva further apart, he wasted no time as he took her engorged, sensitive clitoris between his teeth. He suckled hard and her pussy gushed more juices, loving the attention he was giving to that part of her body.

As she cried out her satisfaction, he released her clit, giving it one last lick before moving downwards. He licked one side of her labia, then the other before thrusting his tongue deep into her pussy.

To her shock, she came.

"Sasuke!" she screamed as the climax rushed through her.

He continued with his ministrations. She felt as if he were trying to eat her alive! He thrust his tongue in and out, licking her inner walls and drinking in her juices. Unbelievably, she felt herself coming again. She moved her bound hands, twisting her arms so that her fingers clenched in the midnight locks of his hair. She didn't know whether to pull him forwards and pushed him away.

She settled for holding on to dear life.

It seemed like he ate at her for hours. He growled deep within his throat as he fucked her with his mouth, ignoring her pleas for mercy. She was delicious! Sweet, with a hint of tartness. He felt as if he could live on her pussy juices alone.

Sakura legs trembled as wave after wave of orgasms flooded through her, splashing more liquid onto his tongue. The soles of her feet dug into the ground beneath her and she arched until she was held up only by her shoulders, feet—and him.

"Sasuke, Sasuke, Sasuke . . ." his name was a maddening mantra on her lips. She forgot that they were naked in the middle of a forest, where any animal or man could come upon and probably easily subdue them. Nothing existed except for Sasuke and the pleasure he was giving her—giving them both.

After she climaxed for what seemed like the hundredth time, he suddenly wrenched his mouth away and despite her weariness and state of nearly passing out, she shouted her protest. He raised his upper body and she blushed wildly when she saw the dampness clinging to his mouth and chin.

He pressed a brief kiss to her lips and she tasted herself on him, not at all embarrassed. Then he pulled away and she swallowed hard when she saw the tightness of his features, the hint of redness in the blackness of his eyes.

He had lost control.

His hands were intense as he flipped her around several times, as if trying to decide in what position to take her. She found herself on her knees, his hands moving from the nape of her neck to her round buttocks, causing her breath to hitch when he lingered between the cheeks for a while. Just as she was about to get a bit panicked, he flipped her around again.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" His voice was guttural, almost unrecognizable. His fingers found her clit again and a strangled gasp escaped from her throat.

"You knew," he rasped accusatorily as he all but cruelly pinch the overly-sensitive bud. His hand moved away from her clit to delve into her pussy. "You knew this was going to happen when you challenged me. You knew I was going to lose control."

She didn't bother to verbally respond; she only nodded frantically, tossing her head back and forth at the ridiculous measure of arousal. _Of course_ she knew what challenging him would bring. If there was one thing that was normal about him, it was his stereotypical alpha-male tendencies. Challenging him to a match like they had, eluding him when he wanted her submissiveness, had been akin to prodding an already-irritated tiger. You _will_ get into trouble.

If she were any other woman, she would run simply by the sheer desire on his face. Thank God she wasn't any other woman.

Plus, she was probably a bit of a masochist, considering her position now.

"I won't go easy. I can't," he said thickly, the fingers in her wet core moving rapidly. "You're gonna get _fucked_."

Her answer was in her cries of pleasure.

Without withdrawing his fingers, Sasuke once more twisted her body, which complied easily to his physical commands. Sakura found herself on her side, pressed hard into the ground. Her tied hands grasped a handful of grass for purchase, her nails digging into the soil.

_Oh God, oh God, oh God,_, she mused silently, her thoughts whirling.

She had no idea she was chanting this out loud, but he was going to make sure she knew.

"I want you to cry out _my_ name!" Sasuke demanded, burying his fingers deeper, touching that part of her that made her scream exactly that.

He lifted her leg to place it over his shoulder, and then straddled her other thigh, his hard shaft dangerously close to the place they both wanted it to be. One hand cupping her breast while the other was still paying attention to her pussy, he adjusted her knee higher, the sole of her foot digging into his back. She again sent a prayer to the gods for making her so limber—this scissored position would have been highly uncomfortable otherwise.

"Turn your head—look at me!" he commanded.

She quickly obeyed and the moment she turned to face him, he lowered his head and caught her lips in a devouring kiss. She moaned into his mouth as his tongue tangled with hers.

As he continued his oral assault, he pulled out his fingers and replaced with his much larger, harder cock. He shifted a bit, parted her folds further and then entered her with one quick thrust all the way to the hilt.

She screamed, the sound muffled by his mouth. He felt so huge inside of her, she felt as if she would be torn into two. There was a moment of alarm at the idea of that happening, then just as quickly, her body adjusted itself to the invasion, the walls of her vagina clenching around his swollen member.

She had thought she was used to being taken by Sasuke hard and fast, but she soon found she was wrong as he began to swivel his hips.

His penis moved out halfway before he slammed into her again, jarring her entire body. She struggled under his grip, wanting to move as well, but in the position he held her in, she was helpless to control any part of their lovemaking.

When she nearly bit off his tongue after a particularly brutal thrust, Sasuke abruptly pulled away, leaving a strand of saliva between their lips. He threw his head back and gave out an animalistic cry as he increased his pace, moving at a speed even shinobi would be amazed at.

True to his word, he fucked her—hard. Her pussy walls contracted around his cock again and again as he took her, pounding into her rapidly, all semblance of control gone.

The clearing was filled with the sounds of their pants and grunts, of the moisture sloshing out of her core every time he slammed into her. He showed her no mercy and she asked for none. In fact, she cried out for more and more, chasing after that one big orgasm that loomed ever so closely.

"Harder, Sasuke!" she encouraged, her entire being trembling and shaking wildly. "Faster, faster!"

He swore viciously and did as told, shoving deeper and deeper into until she swore she felt him in her throat. His hands were everywhere, squeezing her breasts, pinching her clit, gripping her hip. She needed more!

"Sasuke, Sasuke, Sasuke, Sasuke!"

He panted harshly, fucking her like a wild animal. He groaned with every thrust, glorying in the way her pussy walls hugged his cock. Sweat coated their bodies, dripping from his onto hers.

"You're so tight," he hissed, feeling the telltale tingle at the base of his spine.

"Don't stop, Sasuke, don't stop!" she pleaded frantically. "I'm coming!"

Her words spurred him on. He gave her what she wanted—what they both wanted. He took her with a savage fury, his thrusts becoming, if it were possible, more violent. He reached up and grabbed a fistful of her pink hair, tugging her head backwards.

"Beg me to fuck you, Sakura," he spat even as he moved his hips swiftly. "Beg me! Ask for it!"

"Fuck me, Sasuke, please fuck me!"

He withdrew almost all the way out before lunging back in, the impact of his thrust shifting them both on the ground.

Her scream splintered the air and seemingly shook the trees around them as she exploded in a mad rush, blessedly achieving the glorious orgasm that had seemed to elude her for so long. Her mind whitened as her climax overwhelmed and she gave herself to the bliss.

Sasuke clenched his teeth and threw back his head, the veins in his neck standing out. His hips pulled away and then pushed forward as he buried himself inside her one more time, delving in so deeply they seemed to become one.

_"FUCK!"_ he roared as he expanded then imploded inside of her, releasing a torrent of white-hot seed into her waiting pussy.

He remained inside her for what seemed like a long time, filling her to overflowing, splashes of his come dripping out of her to her thigh. Finally, his hold on her slackened and his whole body trembling, he fell sideways.

Sakura wasn't sure, but she thought she passed out for a moment. When her mind was finally able to focus and her vision didn't have so many spots dancing across it anymore, she saw that both she and Sasuke were lying flat on their backs, side by side, panting breathlessly as their bodies were cooled by the breezy air.

She studied the both of them for a second before without warning, she let out a loud, gusty laugh.

Sasuke heard her laughing as if from miles away. To his consternation, he could barely manage to find the strength to turn his head. "What is it?" he grumbled, wondering if he should feel insulted by her amusement.

She shook her head, her green eyes still full of mirth.

"You know," she said between giggles, "if Kakashi had given us _this_ sort of training, we would have become legendary ninjas a long time ago!"

* * *

They lingered long enough at the clearing to recuperate, Sakura pelting Sasuke with several rocks after he cut the chakra strings holding her wrists together. She healed their minor wounds, smiling with glee when she found that she _had_ fractured his rib. Inwardly, she was amazed that he'd managed to take her the way he had with such an injury.

Shinobi, really.

They began to move around the clearing, searching for their discarded clothes. She decked him again when she picked up her torn, lacy undergarment, which were absolutely irreparable. She pouted and shamelessly whined until he impatiently promised her to take her to town and buy her a new pair.

By the time they returned to Sasuke's house, it was quite late in their afternoon. They prepared a belated lunch, working well in companionable silence. After their meal, Sakura helped him clean the house, as well as carry out a few other chores, teasing him as she pointedly make sure to toss a bundle of his underwear in the washing machine. She then helped him hang the clothes and if the domestic nature of their activities affected either of them, they didn't let it show.

By six in the evening, the clouds were moving rapidly and a light drizzle of rain began. Quickly abandoning the game of the chess they were playing—she suspected it was more because she was winning rather than the rain—they rushed to pull off the drying clothes from the lines outside. The chore unexpectedly turned into a contest of who could grab the most clothes the fastest and the mini-game brought a lump to Sakura's throat. Nostalgia hit her hard as she recalled the numerous of times Sasuke and Naruto would compete over the smallest and silliest of things and she was silent as she shoved a basketful of damp garments into the dryer. When Sasuke shot her a questioning look due to her sudden silence, she shook her head and was thankful that he wasn't the sort of person to push.

They began to work on their dinner, a simple meal of soba and tempura. She stirred the buckwheat noodles as Sasuke deftly dipped the cut vegetables and prawns into the batter before deep frying them. Dimly, she wondered when, in the midst of training in dank caverns and attempting to commit fratricide, had he learned to cook well.

After dinner, they didn't immediately retire to bedroom, as they had been wont to do these past few days. Perhaps it was because of the weather, or perhaps it was because she was still feeling rather melancholy, but she felt the unexplainable need to sit on the porch with a steaming mug of tea. Sasuke didn't protest, picking up his own cup and following her outside.

Silently, they watched the rain, which had become heavier, fall. Huddled in the blanket she had brought with her, Sakura scooted until she was almost on Sasuke's lap and placed her head on his shoulder. He stiffened for a bit and a frisson of fear appeared within her at the idea of rejection. Thankfully, he didn't push her away, allowing her to cuddle next to him.

He thought, with all of the touches they had shared these past few days, he couldn't really deny her this simple small one.

"It's really beautiful out here," she said softly, watching as the rain and the breeze swayed the leaves of the trees in his large backyard.

"It's peaceful," Sasuke granted.

She smiled. "Naruto would probably find a way to cause a stir even in this sort of environment," she casually remarked and then waited for the inevitable stiffening.

When he didn't react the way she thought he would, when there were no crisp protests to her mentioning their former teammate's name, she took that as a sign that he was allowing her to speak of their friends, something he hadn't allowed in the time since she'd last mentioned them that first day she awoken from her fever.

"He hasn't tried for ANBU yet—he whined outrageously when I did and made it." She said this with nothing short of pride. She knew he had seen the Black Ops tattoo on her right upper arm and she hadn't covered it, which was mandatory when among those not of the rank. It was a mark of her vast success and she didn't want to hide it—not from him.

"Did you know who my final tester was?" she continued when he remained quite. "Kakashi. I got him with a jutsu I created myself. When he woke up, he pestered me to show it to him again with his Sharingan on."

She went on to speak of their former team and the rest of the former Rookie Nine, along with other shinobi they both knew. She spoke of the village, of her parents—who, while still apprehensive with her occupation, were extremely proud of their only daughter, though they never quit pestering her to retire and sprout out babies whenever they saw her.

Sasuke didn't make any remarks to her stories, nor did he offer any information on himself, but he listened intently to each word. Internally, he allowed himself to admit that he actually enjoyed listening to her tales about his former village. In fact, some part of him even craved for the information. He couldn't explain this, nor did he want to.

He just listened and she just talked.

It was when she began to speak of Pein's massive attack on the village several years ago that he reacted negatively, as she somehow knew he would but couldn't resist the subject anyway. He abruptly pulled away from her, interrupting her speech. He looked away and in a curt tone, said, "I think it's time for you to go bed now."

"Are you coming along?" she asked, even as she knew the answer.

"Not yet."

Disappointment filled her, but she bravely suppressed it. Not wanting to get into an argument, not when they were doing so _good_, she gracefully climbed to her feet. She bent and pressed a kiss to the top of his head, surprising him with the simple, but affectionate gesture.

"Goodnight, Sasuke. Don't brood out here too long," she teased warmly before making her way inside.

She took a quick shower before grabbing one of his shirts—her favorite choice of sleeping wear since her arrival—and slipping it on. She climbed into his big bed, tossed and turned for several minutes, before allowing sleep to finally claim her. One of the best things about being a shinobi? She could sleep on command.

Sasuke didn't go to bed until well into the night. When he finally did, he didn't pull Sakura's sleeping body close to him, choosing to turn his back to her. He didn't immediately sleep, dark thoughts swirling in his head.

To his dismay, it was only when he lowered his pride enough to turn and face Sakura, wrapping his arm around her waist and tugging her until she was half-lying on his chest, that the shadows went away.

It was the first night since they shared a bed that they didn't have sex and Sakura, very capable of playing possum, was highly aware of this.

**To be continued**

Didn't I tell you it was going to be a mostly sexual chapter? Seriously, if any of send me remarks about how bothered you were by the sex scenes, I'm going to be upset, because I DID warn you.

For those who weren't disturbed by this chapter, feel free to send me your thoughts. Thanks!


	7. Chinook

I've recently read a comment given to me by **pinkmz **on aff . net and clicked on the link she provided. Let me just say that I had no idea that people were having problems accessing that site and therefore can't read _A Full Circle there_, which is more updated than the one here. Having been raised by liberal parents who never barred me from much, thus allowing me very early in life to know which lines I shouldn't cross and currently being over twenty-one, the idea never entered my mind, really. Plus, my stories _are _for a more mature audience, so I didn't see the issue.

However, I understand the situation. In fact, I'm honored that you guys are really interested with this story._ A Full Circle_ for me, from the very beginning, has been a labor of love and I'd always thought that reviews or not, I will continue to write it even if I'm the only one reading it. I'm glad to see that this is clearly not the case and would like to thank you for spurring me on to write faster and better with your kind remarks.

Concerning the issue, I will try to update _A Full Circle_ here a bit more quickly. There was also a remark that I should bring my other stories here, which, I'm sorry, but I can't. The sexual content in them is much too high for fanfiction . net and I don't want to risk being reprimanded by administrators. However, I've recently started a WordPress blog (url on my profile page), where all of my stories are posted. Due to the format changes that aff . net has made (which I'm not very comfortable with) and because of the restrictions here, I will soon start to focus more on my blog, where I will have more control. Hence, the content there will be more recent and any new stories (several of which are writing themselves in my head as we speak) will also be posted there. After _A Full Circle_ is done, whatever I decide to publish on fanfiction . net will be short and not as _risque_. Thus, if you still interested in reading my stories, please visit my blog (yes, I know, shameless plug).

Whew. That was really long-winded. Let me just say again, thank you so very much for your interest and remarks concerning my writing. Really, they do encourage me greatly. And a special thanks to pinkmz for pointing out the issue.

So here's another chapter. As always, enjoy and let me know what you think!

* * *

**Chapter 7: Chinook**

Much to her pleasure, Sasuke's dark mood disappeared by the next morning and everything returned to normal—at least, as normal as it could be between the two of them. She was still half-asleep when Sasuke pushed her flat on her back and proceeded to, rather skillfully, show her the real meaning of the term "good morning."

It was raining just as hard as it had the previous night so the two of them were confined to the house for most of the day. She didn't mind; she found that the two of them co-existed quite well even with no buffer between them. They cooked and cleaned his house, which, while not filthy by any means, was actually not as neat as she had used to picture Sasuke's house to be. It was a habit of his to toss things in places they weren't meant to be and leaving them there until he wanted to use them again. She also rearranged his furniture and although he huffed and puffed, he didn't change it back.

"Stop pouting, Sasuke-chan," she mocked, making him scowl even worse at the dreaded nickname. "When I leave, you can return them to their boring positions."

He narrowed his eyes and looked away, but he didn't say anything. Her breath hitched in her throat but neither of them remarked on her comment about leaving.

She also continued to talk about her life away from this place. Having learnt her lesson from yesterday, she stayed away from any subject concerning Akatsuki and its members. She told him of her travels; because of her status as one of the most respected medics in the land, as well as Tsunade's former much-favored apprentice, she was often sent on diplomatic missions, negotiating with other countries for something Konoha needed in exchange for medical assistance and expertise.

"Snow Country was the prettiest," she said wistfully as she held a coffee table well above her head, disregarding the fact that it was solid oak and that Sasuke was staring at her as if she were a one-of-a-kind creature in the zoo. "I love the snow, don't you?"

"I've been there," he spoke after she set the table down. She grew still, her back to him. Really, it was rather pitiful at how happy she became when he offered these little anecdotes.

"There was a big blizzard," Sasuke went on, his eyes taking a faraway look. "It was so bad, I couldn't travel on, and so I had to stay at an inn indefinitely. On the third day there, it was quiet—really quiet."

Sakura wanted to make a smart remark on that, but she wisely held her tongue, fearing he would change his mind about telling the story. She nonchalantly pretended to adjust the coffee table this way and that, all the while listening intently.

"I looked out of the window and saw that the snow had been almost wiped clean. The weather was warm for that particular town and the sky was . . . colorful. It was a . . . unique sight. I thought the snow storm had stopped and it was safe to travel again."

"And did you?" Sakura asked softly.

He shook his head. "The innkeeper warned me when I was about to check out, told me it was just a Chinook wind, which basically blows away the snow for a few hours or at most, a day. True enough, by lunch time, the blizzard reappeared again." There was something akin to wonder on his face and Sakura's heart thumped, because it was the most unguarded expression she'd ever seen on his face. "I never knew such things happened," he added.

"I'd like to see it one day," she declared, a dreamy smile on her face.

After that, their conversations continued. To her delight, he spoke more and more of himself. The stories were not detailed and he didn't divulge anything of his years spent under Orochimaru's rule, nor did he speak of anything of what she silently referred to as his "dark time" but what he did offer was good enough for her.

With each stilted word, Sakura's heart sang more and more and though she knew it was dangerous for her to feel that way, she didn't do anything to stop it.

She was free-falling and she thought it was the most wonderful thing in the world.

* * *

It continued to rain for the entire day and well into the next morning so for two days, they stayed indoors. She thought she would go stir-crazy if it were not for Sasuke and the things they did.

Of course, they engaged in their preferred pastime activity of having sex for most of the forty-eight hours. They christened every suitable spot in his house with a sexual activity (her favorite was on the dryer). Who knew Sasuke could be quite adventurous when it came to sex? Really—she was learning more and more about him every time.

They also played chess, with each of them winning and losing the game evenly. Their final match resulted in a table splintered into two and a nearly-roasted chair. The chess table was upended and the pieces were scattered as Sakura finished the issue on whether a move was allowed the best way she knew how—fucking Sasuke senseless. She straddled his waist, shoved her hand into the front of his pants and gave his cock a hard tug.

They both won, really.

Sakura quickly discovered that the two of them were as competitive as he and Naruto had been. Any game they decided to play, whether it was chess or an innocent round of "Go Fish" was turned into a heated battle which would result in several destroyed furniture. Their annoyance in each other, however, was settled easily with a round of an even fiery lovemaking. He didn't say it, but she suspected that he would purposely go out of his way to goad her just for this last part.

She didn't mind. After all, who was she to spoil his fun? Especially when she benefited greatly from it as well.

During the evening of the second day of their confinement, the rain thankfully stopped. They were again sitting on the porch overlooking his backyard, sharing a steaming pot of tea. The air was cold due to the weather, but was getting relatively less so. To her surprise, as she stared out into the night sky, it began to light up brilliantly.

"Fireflies!" she exclaimed joyfully. She stared in wonder at the dozens of tiny lightning bugs flying around the backyard. She turned to Sasuke, her green eyes wide with excitement.

"Does this happen often?"

"Mostly after the rain," he answered with a casual shrug, having seen such occurrence many times throughout the years since he built the house.

She let out a delighted squeal and returned her attention to the fireflies. She had to resist the urge to jump up and attempt to catch one of them, the way she had often done as a child. She did, however, squirm restlessly in her seated position, her face full of pleasure as she observed the wonderful sight.

Sasuke, sitting quietly beside her, found that he couldn't look away from her. The child-like amazement displayed on her lovely features—he wondered if he'd ever worn such an expression on his own face. The lights from the insects illuminated her face, making her appear more beautiful. Unbidden, the corners of his lips lifted slightly and he was shocked by this, because it never occurred to him that he could find delight—even the smallest amount of it—simply because of another's. And for a split second, he thought, if she were to stay—

He quickly squashed that treacherous thought, locking it into a part of him that the coldness of his makeup had not entirely encompassed. He wasn't blind to note that this small portion was now mostly filled with the memories of Sakura. He didn't bother attempting to erase them—they would keep him company on the solitary days ahead.

Still watching the insects, Sakura hugged her blanket tighter around her and moved so that she was lying on her side, her head resting on Sasuke's lap. He didn't push her away. She was an affectionate person by nature and such displays had become normal for him. He brushed several stray strands of hair from her face, seemingly unaware that he had done so. Sakura, however, was achingly conscious of the gesture. They were appearing a bit more frequently—these small, small touches that took place outside of sexual activities that probably went unnoticed by him. A brush against her arm, a caress on her cheek, a pat on her hip—she cherished each and every one of them like rare gifts.

"If I owned something like this," she said, pointing towards the fireflies, "I wouldn't leave it, too." It was the truth. Theirs was a life of hardship and danger. This life they had chosen, the vows they had made as shinobi—such peace seemed like an impossible dream most of the time. And even though Sasuke had gone about getting what little peace he had now the wrong way—at least in the eyes of his former village—Sakura wouldn't dream of taking it away from him. In fact, she envied him for it.

Sasuke grew still, knowing she had more to say.

He wasn't wrong. "As a kunoichi of Leaf," she continued, "I will have to report that I came across you. You're a missing-nin—a wanted man. It would be against my code of conduct _not_ to officially declare our meeting."

Above her head, Sasuke's black eyes flashed red and for a brief, utterly dangerous moment, he calculated that it would be _so_ easy to silence her—permanently. He could do it. With her lying so close and being so _fucking trusting_, it wouldn't take more than two moves.

That part of him, the one majorly occupied with Sakura's smiles, roared in protest. It screamed loud enough to penetrate the demons crawling in the inner darkness, pushing them back. And just like that, Sasuke's eyes returned to their normal state and the hand he hadn't realized he'd clenched slackened.

She would never, ever know how close he'd come to killing her—again.

Ignorant of her lover's inner turmoil, Sakura's hands cupped Sasuke's knee, running soothing fingers over it. "I will report it," she declared firmly, unable to lie to him. "But like every other _good_ shinobi, I know that things can have gray areas, too. I'll report seeing you, but I won't tell them you're here. I won't disclose the location of this house, nor will I tell of the . . . moments we've shared."

She looked up them, studying the sharp features on his devastatingly handsome face. "Will you trust me enough to stay true to my words?" she questioned softly.

He didn't immediately answer her and it seemed as if she had to wait a long time, her heart in her throat. _Give me this, Sasuke_, she thought desperately. _Please_.

Finally, thankfully, he nodded.

She sighed, breaking her gaze away from his face. She pressed her cheek to his thigh and let out a contented sound.

They stayed like for a long while, enjoying the silence of the night.

After a while, Sakura spoke. "Sasuke," she began in that tone that told him she was going to say something emotional. He braced himself, hoping he wouldn't hurt her with his response.

"When I'm gone . . . when nights like these happen and I'm not here," she said hesitantly, her voice shaking, "will you think of me?"

His first instinct was to give her a resounding "no." To answer any differently would only serve to worsen a situation they both knew had already become something they had wanted to avoid from the very beginning.

But he couldn't lie to himself, not in this and not this time. And more importantly, he realized, he couldn't—wouldn't—lie to her.

"Yes," he replied quietly, but resolutely. "I'll remember."

Sakura valiantly pushed back her tears, turned to bury her face in his leg and whispered the two words that would forever be between them: "Thank you."

He didn't reply—not verbally, at least. He lifted a hand and ran his fingers through the long locks of her pink hair. The simple caress soon became something more and under the bright lights of the flickering fireflies, Sasuke and Sakura joined their bodies in a slow, sensual dance that was as old as time.

As she whimpered her pleasure, she dimly recognized the moment as the first time in which they _weren't just having sex_.

They were making love.

Kami help her.

* * *

The next morning dawned with a healthy dose of sunshine and chirping birds. Sakura, sleeping on the side of the bed that faced the window (that neither of them, _alert_ shinobi that they were, realized was kept open), squinted as the light hit her eyes. She slowly opened bleary eyes, the sight of the glowing sun strange after two days of rain.

She released a jaw-popping yawn and turned her head to look at Sasuke. He was still asleep, his face partly hidden by the pillow as he rested on his stomach, one arm thrown across her chest. She wryly noted that even in slumber, his hand was cupping a warm, round breast.

Typical male.

It was rare for her to wake up before him, so she took advantage of the opportunity to study his face (or the parts of it she could see). He was annoyingly gorgeous even asleep. The harsh lines of his features were softer, though there was still a slight grove between his dark brows.

_What is it that you dream of that makes you frown?_ Sakura wondered. She wanted to reach out and smooth out that area, but she didn't want to wake him up.

Not just yet.

She looked at him for a long time, memorizing every nuance of his face. She was smiling even as the ache inside of her intensified.

She was going back to Konoha tomorrow.

Today would be her last day here. Tomorrow—tomorrow she would leave this wonderful place and return to her home, to the family and friends she knew were anxiously wondering where she was, to the village she had sworn herself to.

The same village he had abandoned.

"Star-crossed, Sasuke," she whispered. "That's what we'll always be, you and I."

Predictably, he came awake at the sound of her voice, senses as sharp as ever even though there wasn't any need to be so vigilant, when there was only her and no apparent enemy.

Black eyes narrowed as he saw that she was staring at him.

"Good morning, Sasuke-kun!" she chirped, very much like she had during their Genin days.

His reply was a mere grunt.

She giggled and nuzzled his muscled shoulder, warm from sleep. "Sasuke," she breathed, "will you do me a favor today?"

He was immediately suspicious of her tone. "What is it?" he demanded warily.

"I'd like you to take me into town," she told him. "I need to do a bit of shopping."

He mentally snorted. Her definition of "a bit of shopping" differed greatly from his. Where he would return with merely a bag of basic necessities, she could clean out several shops.

"Fuck no," he said bluntly. Women, he decided, were problematic when placed in an area that held saleable goods.

Unbothered by his sharp tone and words, Sakura smiled, which instantly made his hackles rise. He attempted to move—and maybe it was because he was still sleepy or maybe it was because his subconscious mind didn't really want him to get away—but he wasn't fast enough. She straddled his thighs and placed her hands on his shoulders, effectively pinning him down. Chakra began to glow around her hands and his eyes widened slightly when he realized he couldn't push her off.

She smirked at the same time. "And that's just a _bit_ of my chakra," she boasted gleefully.

It was a powerful weapon, he thought, her ability to control her chakra. Vaguely, he recalled how the footnote of her details in the Bingo Book had warned would-be opponents to not let her get too close to touch them.

His attention was pulled back when she lowered herself on him. But instead of the kiss on the mouth he expected, she placed her lips on his throat, trailing moist kisses along the taut line.

As she nibbled on his clavicle, her hand slipped down his chest, past his stomach and towards the anatomy that had stiffened the moment she climbed on top of him. Her fingers closed firmly around his erection, giving it a little tug. Automatically, his hips jerked in response and he let out a little grunt.

"I shall enjoy changing your mind then," she whispered wickedly as her lips drifted lower and lower down his body.

By the time her mouth drew in his rock-hard shaft, Sasuke thought he would have promised her anything.

* * *

The town was bustling even more when Sasuke and Sakura arrived there nearly close to lunchtime. To her delight, she discovered it was the day where the town had its weekly street market. Stalls, selling everything from food to trinkets to antique furniture and even pets were lined on both sides of the road. It seemed endless and she gasped with joy.

Sasuke gave an inaudible groan.

Since it was so close to lunchtime and they had skipped breakfast for more . . . delectable activities, they decided that a meal was first priority—or at least Sasuke, in his caustic way, stated, "We're eating. Stop staring at the damn dress shop or I'm leaving you here."

They were fortunate to get a table at a more secluded section in one of the most popular restaurants in the area, which was famous for its tempura—her favorite. As they gorged—she did (he ate at a more dignified pace, in his opinion)—on the fried delicacies, Sakura looked across the table at him. He was so handsome, it wasn't surprising how the waitresses had literally bent over backwards for them when they entered the restaurant. Even with the hustle and bustle of the other patrons, they—mostly him—had been given special attention. Really, Sakura thought wryly, it was a wonder that they hadn't been able to locate him all these years. He drew so much attention—how in the world had they managed to miss him? Even now, many of the people in the restaurant were blatantly staring at him. He, of course, appeared utterly nonchalant about the entire thing.

"What is it?" he asked when she continued to look at him.

"You know I'm leaving tomorrow, right?" she returned breezily.

He paused for a nanosecond before he returned to picking up his fried prawn. "Yes."

"Okay then," she said with a nod.

They went on with their meal.

After paying for their food—she forced him to leave a generous tip—they left the restaurant. He took in the way she eagerly looked around at the stalls, trying to decide which one she wanted to visit first, and attempted to warn her, "You have a limited amount of money."

She shot him a sly glance. "But you don't."

This time, he didn't even try to cover his groan.

They visited stalls after stalls and Sasuke was glad that their stamina was so high because she didn't seem to be tired at all. She didn't buy much, but she wanted to see _everything_.

As she was standing in front of a cage that held, of all things, a porcupine and loudly wondered how someone would keep the animal as a pet, they were approached by a very pretty brunette. The way she was looking at Sasuke told Sakura that the other woman was familiar with him.

And when she spoke to him, her voice soft and her eyes full of warmth as she said her hellos, Sakura realized _how_ familiar.

"Ayaka," Sasuke returned her greeting with a nod. Sakura wanted to kick him. Truly, did he have to be _that_ insensitive?

She stepped away from the porcupine, a large, genuine smile on her face as she brushed past Sasuke. "Ayaka-san?" she said cheerfully. "Ah, it's so good to finally meet you. Sasuke's spoken of you!"

The brunette stared back at her, clearly disconcerted. Sasuke was too, Sakura could tell—he only hid it very well.

"Eh, I . . . well . . ." Ayaka stammered.

"Oh, how rude of me!" Sakura exclaimed, waving her hand. "I'm Sakura, an old friend of Sasuke's. Obviously, he hasn't spoken of _me_. How very typical of you, Sasuke!" she teasingly chided, poking him in the stomach and ignoring—as well as being sadistically pleased by—the glare he immediately shot her way.

"Oh . . . you're a friend of Sasuke-san's?" Ayaka asked. Woman-to-woman, Sakura knew she was being asked something else.

"Yes." Her own voice was gentle. "We've known each other for a long time, but we haven't been able to keep in touch for years. We only bumped into each other just recently."

"I see."

They continued to exchange polite pleasantries for a few minutes, with the brunette offering Sakura information on which was the best bargain stalls. All the while, Sasuke remained quiet, merely grunting when Sakura subtly poked him again in order to force him to participate in the conversation. Finally, Ayaka excused herself, giving Sasuke one last longing look before she made her way further down the row of shops.

Sakura studied the brunette's back for a moment before she turned her attention to Sasuke, who looked as aloof as always, as if it didn't even occur to him to feel bothered that two of his bed partners—past and present—had just met. He _was_ perturbed, though; she could tell by the slight spike in his chakra.

"She's very pretty," she declared honestly.

He narrowed his eyes. "Don't start, Sakura."

"Were you with her long?"

"Sakura."

"Sasuke," she returned in the same biting tone as he had used. Hadn't he realized that she had long ceased to be intimidated by his cold tone and trademark scowl? "I never pegged you to be with a civilian," she added, almost goadingly.

He let out a sigh that nearly blew her away. He knew she wouldn't stop pestering him until he told her _something_.

"It was brief and casual," he told her curtly. "It ended mutually. Now, can you stop cooing over that stupid porcupine so we can move on?"

She snorted as he whipped around and all but stalked towards the opposite direction. He was delusional if he believed that the affair between him and Ayaka-san ended _mutually_. But then again, Sasuke had always been denser than the average male when it came to the female sex.

As she followed him, it was on the tip of her tongue to ask him if what _they_ had between them was also brief and casual. Would he, in a few years down the road, say the same thing about their affair? She was tempted to ask, but she bit back her words. Truth be told, she was afraid to hear his answer.

They continued with their shopping—or at least, she did while he slouched behind her, holding several bags and brimming with barely-concealed impatience. It was as she was pondering on a selection of mochi cakes at one of the stalls that she turned around to smile at him. He stood several paces away in his signature pose, one hand shoved deep within his pocket, his eyes narrowed as he clearly resisted the urge to tap his foot. Her smile widened because he simply looked adorable.

"Hey, Sasuke," she called out to him, turning her attention away from the sweet dessert.

"What?" he said bitingly. He never did like crowds.

"I love you."

It was the first time she'd ever seen him looking so flabbergasted, his eyes larger than they'd ever been. He actually _choked_.

Ignoring the wide-eyed stare the lady selling the cakes was giving her and taking advantage of Sasuke's shock, Sakura went on casually, "I just wanted you to know that. Ayaka-san never told you her true feelings and I guess I didn't want to be like that, too. And I don't want to tell you tomorrow, so you can blame it on me being emotional while saying goodbye. Nor did I want to tell you while we were naked so you can chalk it off to the awesome sex."

"Oh, my!" the mochi lady exclaimed.

Sakura resisted the urge to laugh. "I won't lie and say that I've always loved you," she continued, "because I haven't. In fact, for a while, I hated you for what you did to me—to us. It's mind-boggling to think how I quickly I've managed to fall in love with you again in such a short time, but I do—so there you go."

"Sakura . . . I . . ."

She shook her head. "You don't have to say anything, Sasuke," she said gently. "From your blowfish impression, you're either struggling to find a way to reject me or to say that you actually _do_ feel something for me. Either way, you're going to hurt the both of us, me especially. So it's fine. I don't need to know how you feel—just as long as you know how I feel."

And with that, she turned to the bug-eyed mochi seller and said, "I'd like three packets of the green tea ones and two of the red bean, please. Oh, look, Sasuke, tea sets!"

* * *

As expected, they didn't speak much after her declaration, but Sakura was in a cheerful disposition as they went back to Sasuke's house. She'd always been awful at hiding her feelings—especially when it came to him—so she felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She practically skipped into the house, a small paper bag in her hand while Sasuke carried the rest of her purchases.

He was brooding more than usual and that did dampen her mood a bit. She didn't regret telling him she loved him—but perhaps she shouldn't have done it when she'd done it. It was her last day here, after all, and she had planned to spend it by having—in her earlier words—awesome sex. Her proclamation may have stunted his libido. Damn.

Yet her words might have affected him differently, because the moment the bags were placed on the floor, Sasuke grabbed her shoulders, whirled her around until her back hit the wall, and proceeded to give her one hell of a kiss.

"Sasuke," she gasped when he finally allowed her to breathe. "What . . . ?"

"Just," he rasped, "shut up, Sakura. Shut up."

Okay then.

He kissed her again, his mouth aggressive, his tongue thrusting deep to battle with hers. His hands moved from her shoulders to roam over her body, pausing to pay special attention to her breasts. She felt the heat searing her even through the barrier of her dress.

There was no prolonged foreplay. Her skirt was shoved up and bunched around her hips unceremoniously. He made a quick work out of the buttons of his pants and after briefly touching her clit to make sure she was wet enough to enjoy this—as if there were any doubts on that—he pushed his hardened staff deep into the hot, damp well of her vagina.

She cried out as he thrust all the way into the hilt without pause, her voice drowning out his pleased grunt. Her fingers dug into his broad shoulders, her hips tilted upwards and her legs wrapped themselves tightly around his slim waist. After that, all she had to do was hold on and enjoy the ride.

And what a ride it was. He took her fast and furiously, her back slamming against the wall with each plunge of his rock-hard cock. He lifted her higher, making sure to go deep every time he shoved into her. The angles of his handsome face seemed as if they were carved from stone and he gritted his teeth as he quite literally fucked her with all his might. The sex was as untamed as their wild encounter in the forest and she enjoyed every minute of it. Her cries echoed throughout the living room, accompanied by his low, guttural groans.

He came first, his hot seed filling her to the brim. Frustrated—and a little bit panicked—she wrapped her arms tighter around his shoulders and used her legs to move and down, crying out when her orgasm felt out of reach. Seeing this, he slipped his hand underneath her dress, pinched her swollen clit and took great pleasure in her scream as her walls constricted around his penis.

She slumped forward, her lungs fighting for air, her gaze blurry. He turned his head, sank his teeth into the side of her neck and in that deep, oh-so-sexy voice, stated, "Again."

She certainly wasn't going to deny him. Like she said—awesome sex.

* * *

They procreated like bunnies for the rest of the afternoon, only not really because hello—birth control jutsus. But they did have sex.

Lots of it.

After she made him shout—yes, Sasuke, _shouting_—with her mouth, she looked out of the window of his bedroom (they had somehow managed to take their activities there), and saw that the sun had set. Naked, sweaty and a feeling a bit too dirty, she declared that they should take a shower and then have dinner.

He frowned at first, but eventually the corners of his mouth lifted slightly when she invited him into the bathroom with her. Who knew he could be such a sex fiend?

Fortunately, they didn't have to prepare dinner because they had had the foresight to take away food when they were in town. They had to wait several minutes for the food to be reheated—in which the ever-productive Uchiha managed to make her cry out using his fingers—and then filled their stomachs with enough sustenance to support the activities both knew they would be continuing for the rest of the night.

After they cleared up the table, Sakura went into the bedroom. Sasuke followed suit but instead of taking off her clothes like he thought she would, she pulled out the plain navy yukata she had found buried in his closet and shoved it into his hands.

"The fuck?" he said in his usual blunt way.

"For tea," she answered simply.

As Sasuke redressed into the apparel, Sakura—who had already donned her simple flower-patterned yukata—set out the tea set she had forced him to buy _"because every house should have a traditional tea set, Sasuke—even yours. Shame on you—aren't you supposed to be nobility?"_

Ten minutes later, he was sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of her as she, with her legs neatly folded underneath her, performed the less formal ceremony of _chakai_, which had been taught to her by her mother ever since she was old enough to speak. Even kunoichis needed to know how to be a lady, her mother had always said.

He watched as she moved in precise motions, her hands elegantly stirring the tea. When she was finally done, she lifted the delicate tea bowl and served it to him with a proper bow. He accepted the tea, using long-buried memories as he returned the bow. His movements also precise, he lifted the bowl to the mouth and took a sip of the thin tea. It was perfect.

He ignored the image of his mother performing a similar ceremony for his father flashed through his mind and simply enjoyed the tea. They sipped in silence, allowing the tranquility of this particular tradition to overtake them.

When they were finished with the tea and Sakura executed the final steps of the ceremony, he watched as she put away the set. Ridiculously, he couldn't help but note how utterly feminine she seemed at this moment.

_She would make a good wife_.

He pushed away the thought. Besides, Sakura would probably knock him through the walls if he spoke that chauvinistic remark out loud.

Truth be told, he was still flounced by her proclamation of love at the market place. Emotions he refused to acknowledge coiled within him. He wished she hadn't said what she had. But then again . . .

He wouldn't deny that some part of him—again, the bastard Naruto said he was—felt triumphant by her words.

Unable to deny himself, he disregarded her earlier order to _not say anything_. Reaching out, he placed his hand on hers, halting her actions of cleaning up the tea set. She looked up, surprised. "Sasuke?"

"I do feel _something_, alright?" he said quietly because he had hurt her enough.

She was quiet for a long time and part of him feared that he had gone too far and that she was going to do something emotionally drastic (the image of a twelve-year-old girl crying flashed through his mind). However, she only nodded, a bright smile on her lovely face.

"Alright," she replied just as quietly.

* * *

In the relative darkness and quietness of his bedroom, the two former teammates undressed each other between kisses and climbed onto the bed. Sasuke pulled her on top of him to straddle his waist, his hard chest brushing the tips of her round breasts. For a second, Sakura averted her eyes and for the life of her, she couldn't pinpoint why she suddenly felt so shy.

Her hands moved over the chiseled planes of his chest, touching the small flat nipples and smiling when he let out a barely audible gasp. Her fingers trailed the scars that covered his torsos, from the tiny, almost-invisible ones to the long one on his rib. All the while, they continued to exchange soft, purposeful kisses, turning their heads to this side and that, tasting each other to the fullest. She shifted so that her breasts were crushed against his chest and felt the way his erection rose underneath her buttocks.

Her fingers circled around his navel, playing with the faint whorl of hair that trailed downwards. His response was to tighten his grip on her hips as he deepened their kiss. His hand then lowered and massaged the soft skin of her bum, cupping and squeezing, while his other hand gave her breasts the same treatment. His touch was hot and arousing, increasing the fire already burning through her veins. She could tell that he was highly aroused, eager to carry on with their lovemaking, but sensing her mood (and perhaps the enormity of this moment), he made himself slow down. She was doing the same because she truly wanted to savor this.

"Sasuke," she managed to gasp before she tilted her head back and pressed her tongue against his. She stopped teasing his navel and slowly, but surely, her hand moved until it stopped between their lower bodies. She delicately encircled his rigid shaft and felt the echo of his groan rumble through his chest.

She made a pleased sound of her own as she began to move her fingers up and down his throbbing erection. He was hard and hot in her hand, his hips jerking with each upward jerk. She gently pressed her palm on the throbbing head and then used the moisture there to add to the fluidity of her movements. She explored him thoroughly, pausing to squeeze his balls (this prompted another deep groan).

They broke off the kiss, both of them breathless. She pulled back a bit to watch her hand fondle his cock, memorizing every inch of him.

His lips landed on her shoulder, nibbling at the silky-smooth flesh there. Soon, he too began to explore her, mimicking the path she had taken on his body on her own. A throaty cry escaped her throat when his hand appeared between their bodies, bumping against her fingers as he massaged her distended clit. They started to echo one another. Whenever her grip hardened, his touch did, whenever she was gentle, he was too. He slid a long finger deep into her pussy and while she was still gasping, he added another digit. The walls of her pussy clenched around him and a gush of hot liquid flowed, making her even wetter.

His head lowered to her breasts and her back arched as he drew one of the creamy globes into his mouth. He suckled her hard, using the edges of his teeth to play with her sensitive nipple. He then ran the flat of his tongue over the swollen bud, soothing the slight bite.

"Mmmpph," she whimpered as he gave the other breast equal attention.

Several moments later, in which they both saw an increase in breathing, he lifted his head and she was shocked to see that his eyes were completely red, those dangerous tomoes swirling about. She wanted to cry then because she knew what it meant.

He wanted to memorize this, just as she wanted to as well. She might not have a special bloodline, but she knew she would always remember this.

Remember _him_.

He withdrew his fingers then and softly pushed hers away from him. He shifted them both and placed the knob of his erection at the opening of her pussy. "Okay?" he asked, looking straight into her eyes.

Did he really have to ask? "Yes, Sasuke, yes—now," she pleaded breathlessly.

He entered her in one swift thrust all the way to the hilt and they both let out exultant moans. He felt so perfect inside of her—as if he'd belonged there all along—and she wrapped her arms tightly around his shoulders, her nails digging into the rounded muscles there as she met each of his thrusts.

He went in deep every time, withdrawing almost all the way out before plunging back in, filling her to the brink. Her hips matched his, pulling when he pushed, pushing when he pulled. She moved up and down his shaft seamlessly as they danced to the sensuous act that was as old as time.

All the while, they stared into each other's eyes, committing to memory the flickers of emotions apparent in both green and red.

Because they were Sasuke and Sakura and the Will of Fire burned brightly in both of their veins—no matter how much he would have wanted to deny it—they couldn't take it slow for long. Soon, their pace became faster, their hips jerking more harshly. He grasped her hips to the point of pain as he lunged upward aggressively and she was crying out louder and louder between each breath, her head thrown back as they finally broke eye contact. Seeing how her throat was displayed so invitingly, Sasuke leaned forward and placed his lips on her neck, alternating between licking and sucking. He felt the hard knot in the pit of his belly and his movements quickened even more. She was so tight and hot around him and he finally understood why so many men would fight over women. If he could—

"Sasuke!" Sakura shouted as she came in an explosion that shattered body and mind. "Ah, ah, ah, _ahhhh!_"

Sasuke let out a loud growl and pushed her backwards until she landed on the mattress, still caught up in the throes of an orgasm. He hunched over her, his hips jerking fast and furiously, his teeth sharp on her throat. His cock pounded into her once, twice and then a third time as he finally came in a rush, shooting his seed deep into her womb with a raw, unbridled groan of her name on his lips.

"Oh, Sasuke," she panted, gripping his sweaty shoulders, bliss like she'd only ever known with him flowing through her body. "I do love you, so very much."

He didn't respond in words. He merely tightened his arms around her, his breath hot on her damp neck.

He never noticed the small needle that appeared between her fingers.

* * *

In the faint light of the dawn, the bedroom was almost eerily quiet. Sakura stood at one side of the room, an opened scroll on the dresser in front of her. Softly, she chanted the jutsu that would place all of her belongings there, including the ones she had recently purchased.

Once this was done, she skillfully rolled the scroll and shoved it into the pouch already strapped to her waist. She was fully-dressed, her clothes non-descriptive to ease her on-coming journey and her hair pulled back in a neat bun at the nape of her neck. She double-checked to make sure everything was in order and was satisfied to see that it was.

Finally, she turned around, her eyes instantly drawn to the sleeping, naked figure on the bed. She had pulled the covers over him to protect him from the morning chill and for once, the frowns that followed him even in his sleep were gone. His incredibly handsome features were smooth, his breathing fluid as he rested deep in slumber.

She checked the time. By her estimation, he had another two hours before he would wake up. The sleeping drug she had injected into him wouldn't leave any lingering effects; he would awaken well-rested.

And most possibly very, very angry.

She knew he would be furious when he realized that she had drugged him, more so because she had done it when he'd been in such a vulnerable position. His naturally distrustful nature would rage at her even as he cursed himself for being so unaware.

She didn't care. She would rather have his anger than have to say goodbye. She didn't think she could handle it—she _knew_ she couldn't. As changed as the both of them were, there were some things that would always remain, and his ability to hold her heart in his hand, to handle it however he wanted to, was one of them. She was deathly afraid that if he were to be conscious when she was leaving then he wouldn't have to say goodbye at all—because she wouldn't want to leave.

Her footsteps were quiet as she padded over to the bed to stand next to him. Her green eyes hungrily took every inch of him, locking his image deep into that part of her memory that would always be filled by Uchiha Sasuke. He had touched her so much, had always been a huge part of her life, even when all she wanted to do was to be rid of him. These last week and a half had given her some sort of closure. She had finally accepted the fact that he would always be a part of her, his face one of those that she would see before she closed her eyes at nights.

"Star-crossed," she murmured softly. She bent down, pressing a warm, fond kiss on his lips.

And then she was gone, taking any evidence that she was once in his house with her. She had even rearranged the furniture, tucking the tea set she had bought with him into the storage room. The only thing left of her was the faint, lingering scent of her perfume—and even that would eventually disappear once he woke up.

Just like her.

**To be continued**


	8. Home Again

Once again, thank you for the reviews. Hope you enjoy this latest chapter. Please be my extra eyes for any mistakes and let me know what you think!

* * *

**Chapter 8: Home Again**

His kitchen table needed to be replaced.

Sasuke casually tossed the broken pieces of what had once been the table in his backyard before lighting it on fire. The table, along with several chairs, had been the innocent victims of his fury when he awoken and discovered that not only had Sakura left, but she had drugged him as well. He had been outraged and had taken his frustration out on the furniture until he calmed down enough to realize that wrecking his house would only further his anger.

He'd gone out to his training area then and as a result, several training dummies now needed to be replaced as well.

He still couldn't believe the audacity she had in drugging him. Even worse, he had allowed himself to lack the caution. Fucking hell, he was lucky she hadn't decided to drag his ass all the way to Konoha.

He truly believed he would have killed her (or more likely cripple her) if she had attempted to pull such a stunt.

Once Sasuke had cooled down enough, he had understood why Sakura had done what she had. He himself had been unable to picture the scene of her leaving. She would have probably cried and he would have probable made it worse by appearing unaffected—which he honestly wasn't. He didn't know what he would have really done, but it was possible it wouldn't have been something that was good for either of them.

Three times he found himself on the edge of his property that faced the direction of his former village, but each time he turned around. It wouldn't do either of them any good if he went after her. After all, she had a life back in Konoha and he . . .

His life was here, alone and devoid of any long-term plans for the future.

Yes. As much as it galled him to admit, Sakura had done the right thing. Their story was finished—finally.

He would be content with the memories.

* * *

It was a three-day journey back to Konoha. Again, she experienced the sardonic sensation of how close he had been all these years and wondered at the tracking ability of Konoha's shinobi.

She didn't allow herself those three days. Thanks to ninja pills and perfect-chakra control, she managed to cut that time in half. She pushed herself hard, ignoring the screams of exhaustion from her tired muscles. It was dangerous for her to stop, not only because she would risk bumping into enemies but because a part of her was afraid Sasuke might cone after her. She made sure to travel on an unbeaten path, covering her tracks the way she was taught to do. He might not follow her, but she wasn't going to take the risk.

She would rather prefer the enemies.

She was more than halfway home when the pain in her heart finally struck her. She was already sore from traveling at such a fast pace, but the overwhelming emotions nearly crippled her. She had to repeatedly remind herself that she was an excellent shinobi and that excellent shinobi not only fought past pain, but embraced it as well.

By the time the gates of her beloved village came to view, Sakura was feeling exceptionally raw. She was so focused on home that she didn't notice the person behind her.

Until it was too late.

She shrieked as she was tackled from behind and her feet slipped from the branch they were about to land on. There was a rush of movements as she and her assailant wrestled each other mid-air and through hazy eyes, she noticed a blur of black hair.

Finally, her breath was knocked out of her entirely as she landed hard on the ground, the man responsible for it looming above her, his hands firm on her shoulders.

She blinked rapidly, taking in the black hair, the ebony eyes. Her heart pounded rapidly in her chest, pain swirling in the pit of her stomach.

He spoke.

"Ugly, you should really pay more attention." Sai's slight smile was extremely smug.

Sakura couldn't hold it back any longer. Everything she had been feeling, all the emotions she had been forced to hold back, finally exploded.

And thus, with a confused and increasingly-worried Sai sitting on top of her, she cried and cried like she'd never cried before.

* * *

Tsunade looked at the young woman standing in front of her desk, a frown on face. She noted the redness of Sakura's eyes and the puffiness of her cheeks and her frown hardened.

She eyed the report on her desk, taking in the perfectly neat handwriting. Everything was laid out flawlessly, as was the norm when it came to Sakura's mission reports.

"So the mission was completed, you had to heal yourself and then you decided to take a vacation—something I've had to force you to do all these years," Tsunade summarized crisply.

"Yes." Tsunade wasn't deaf to the crack in her former apprentice's voice.

She leaned forward, propping her chin on her cupped hands. "Sakura," she began, her tone firm, "what is not in this report that you should tell me?"

At that, Sakura lifted her gaze from the floor to meet the familiar red-brown gaze that she had come to adore. She swallowed hard and cleared her throat. "Tsunade-sama . . ." She licked her dry lips. "I—please. Not yet."

One perfectly-shaped brow shot up. In her Hokage's voice, she asked, "Will this—whatever you're keeping from me—endanger this village?"

"No." She didn't hesitate.

Tsunade looked at her long and hard. Sakura was a part of the people she considered family. Blood didn't make a relationship—the strength of the commitment a person made did. But more importantly, Sakura was a loyal shinobi of the Leaf. In an environment filled with both physical and political danger, there were few who Tsunade really, truly trusted and Sakura was one of them. Tsunade would never question her loyalty, nor would she ever believe that the young woman would purposely place their beloved village in danger.

She let out a heavy sigh. "Fine then—come to me when you're ready. And don't forget the trust I've placed in you," she added in a warning tone. She went on, "You're off the roster until further notice. Consider this as me extending your vacation since you haven't taken one in five years."

Sakura let out a sigh herself, relief flooding through. She didn't bother protesting the vacation. She was bone-tired and she knew she could really use it. She gave the Hokage a respectful nod before turning to leave the office.

"One more thing," Tsunade called out just as she twisted the doorknob, causing her shoulders to stiffen slightly.

"Jiraiya took Naruto off for one of their slimy, toady 'trainings,'" Tsunade sneered, picturing the kind of "training" Jiraiya probably really had in mind. "They won't be back until the end of the week."

Sakura relaxed, understanding exactly what her former teacher was telling her.

She had a few days' grace to recuperate and make sure that by the time Naruto returned, he wouldn't suspect anything amiss about her. "Thank you, Tsunade-sama," Sakura said and then she left.

* * *

Sakura slept for two days with no interruption, waking up only when it was necessary. On the second night, when her emotions felt as if they were too heavy to bear and she just _couldn't_ stop thinking of Sasuke, wondering what he was doing, if he were eating well, if he thought of her at all, she took the same sleeping medication she had used on him and was blessedly knocked out.

She woke up the next morning to a loud pounding. For a moment, she thought it was due to the drug but when she heard the front door of her apartment being practically torn open, she knew it wasn't.

She only managed to put on a nightshirt before Naruto stormed into her bedroom, full of happy exclamations, with a more sedate Sai following close behind him. They refused her offer of breakfast and Naruto pestered her incessantly to join them at Ichiraku. She threw them out of her bedroom, punched Naruto's eye when he made to follow her to the bathroom and ordered Sai to keep an eye on her adored blond friend while she took a long, hot shower.

Forty minutes later the three of them were seated at Ichiraku, which had expanded over the years (she suspected most of the restaurant's fortune owed its thanks of Naruto's pocket). She and Sai enjoyed their ramen while Naruto slurped through his second bowl. The three of them chattered among themselves, sometimes speaking above each other though highly aware of the other's words. This had become a normal scene for them throughout the years, their close relationship forged from trust and a genuine fondness for one another.

"Ne, ne, Sakura-chan!" Naruto said. He'd never dropped the affectionate title and she had ceased making him do so. "Tsunade said you were on vacation—I told her I didn't believe her."

"It's true, Naruto. There was a nice town at the east border and I just thought I needed a break," Sakura half-lied.

"You should have asked us to come along. I would have dragged Kakashi and Yamato along, too. We haven't been on a group vacation in years!"

Sakura smiled softly. "I just needed some alone time. A girl should always have that, you know."

Naruto grumbled, though he wasn't really angry. "Did you have a nice time then?" he wanted to know.

Sakura paused for a moment as black eyes and a soft small that was painfully endearing flashed through her mind. "It was one of the best times of my life," she finally answered her best friend.

On her other side, Sai shot her a curious look. While she had never sworn him to secrecy about her crying the other day, he hadn't told anyone about it. It was something good friends did, he had learned, keeping each other's secrets without being told to do so.

"That's nice, Sakura-chan. I'm happy for you. You should definitely bring us there one day."

Sakura's breath hitched and she was thankful that neither of her boys had noticed. She looked at Naruto and gave him an affectionate smile. "Maybe someday," she promised, hoping she could.

After they finished watching Naruto devour his sixth bowl of ramen, he declared that he needed to go to the market to buy a few things. Sai agreed to tag along, but Sakura begged off, stating that she needed to go to the library to do some research.

"Eh, but you're on vacation! You shouldn't have to work!"

"It's not work, Naruto," Sakura laughed. "I'm off missions and hospital duties, but no one said I can't do any research."

"Workaholic!" Naruto accused good-naturedly. "I'm telling Tsunade-baa!"

"I dare you—I have more stories about you!" she retorted as she waved at them over her shoulder.

As she walked on the familiar path to the town library, Sakura looked around to see that no one was following her. Confirming this, she reverted off the path and went on a different route.

Soon, her surroundings grew more and more dilapidated until she entered a section of the village that was relatively uninhabited, save for rodents and small animals. Finally, the sight of the cracked blue roof that covered the once-majestic Uchiha manor came into view.

She increased her pace.

* * *

Two weeks after Sakura's return to the village, Utatane Koharu was discovered dead in her spacious bedroom. She was believed to have died in her sleep, her old age finally taking its toll on her. A day later, her former teammate and another village elder, Mitokada Homura was found at the bottom of the staircase in his large house, his arm broken from the fall he was presumed to experience, his body lifeless. Early autopsy reported that he'd had a stroke just as he was climbing the stairs, which explained the fall. The more romantic citizens believed the stroke was prompted by the grief he felt for his old friend's death, as he had taken the news quite hard.

There were absolutely suspicions of foul play. Both had lived long, long lives—longer than most shinobi were fortunate to experience. The village mourned the loss of their beloved elders and a state funeral was called for. They had no surviving family members, having dedicated their whole lives to the village. Dignitaries from other countries attended and even the Fire Daimyo graced Konoha with his presence. Both Utatane-sama and Mitokada-sama had served their country loyally and such were the respect that they deserved.

As Sakura stood among her peers, all of them similarly clad in black yukatas, she listened as their Hokage speak of these two people and wondered if any of them had really known either elder well. She certainly hadn't. As the fire signalling their lives were lit, she bowed her head in respect along with the rest of the crowd and offered prayers to the gods.

Death wasn't something unusual to shinobi; their lives were filled with it so they knew that to feel so much grief was useless. Once the funeral ceremony was done, they dispersed, some to return to their loved ones and appreciate the time they still had while most went to gather with their fellow shinobi to the local watering holes and enjoy life by drinking their weight in alchohol and having rowdy conversations. Tsunade, along with the council she had formed several years ago to replace Utatane and Mitokada (with their blessings, of course), went to entertain the Daimyo and visiting dignataries who would return to their homes in the morning, accompanied by their entourage and several Konoha shinobi, who were handpicked to ensure safe journey.

Sakura was excused from any of these activities, declining Naruto's and Ino's invitations to the bar. She was teased for being a bore and took it all in stride, saying that she wanted to enjoy getting as much as sleep as she could before her graveyard shift began at the hospital tomorrow. She waved them off and waited until they disappeared from sight before heading towards the opposite direction.

Due to her dark-colored clothes and the general emptiness of the village, it was easy for her to move about. Her steps determined, she quickly found herself at a building that despite its inconspicous look, was very highly guarded. She entered the building easily, as the guards from their hidden positions had recognized her from afar. It wasn't her first time here; she was among the three medics that had an all-access pass to the place. She went through a series of hidden doors until she finally came upon the secret basement that housed the worst kind of criminal in their village—a high-standing traitor.

Four soldiers guarded the spacious cell and she knew there were others that she couldn't see.

One of them nodded at her, his voice muffled by the mask he wore. "Haruno-san. Is there a problem?" The funeral ceremony had kept many shinobi, including her, busy.

She shook her head. "Just a routine check-up. Is he awake?"

"Yes. He just finished his dinner."

"Good. I'll call you when I'm ready to leave."

"Very well." Again, there were a series of heavy, locked doors before she finally reached her destination, a relatively large room that had all the basic ameneties a person would need to stay for an indefinite period of time. Her eyes instantly found the person she was there to see. He was slouched in one of the armchairs next to a bookshelf, his old eyes straining to read a faded scroll. He looked up when he heard her enter, a dry smile on his stern face.

"Ah, it's the little flower."

She stiffened at the nickname, but as usual, she didn't allow it to bother her. She closed the door firmly behind her and murmured a sealing jutsu to ensure complete privacy. Once this was done, she again returned her attention to the old man.

Many believed that Shimura Danzo had perished along with his aborted attempt at a coup during the country's last enemy invasion all those years ago, believing that he had been killed by Tsunade herself for trying to take over the Hokage position. Tsunade had never bothered to rectify this mistaken belief because she'd felt it was better for the people (especially those were actually loyal to the old man) to believe that such a heinous traitor was no longer among the living. Of course she, along with only a handful of people, knew otherwise. Danzo was kept under heavy lock and key, weakened and sedated, all of the Sharingan he had stolen removed, and barred from any contact whatsoever with the outside world. He was fed, clothed, entertained and occasionally tortured to reveal crucial information. Being one of the medics entrusted to make sure he was kept alive, Sakura had visited him often.

"Hello, Danzo," she returned his greeting. She'd never placed any honorable suffix to his name, knowing that it galled him. She walked over to the other side of the room and placed her medical bag on a small table. As she withdrew a small tube of medicine, she casually mentioned, "Mitokada-sama and Utatane-sama are dead."

"Yes I know. Your leader had the news sent to me. Such a peaceful way to die."

"Yes. I just returned from their funeral ceremony. It was a great event." There was an intensity in the silence that filled the space between them then, as Danzo stared at Sakura and she stared back at him, purposely revealing all she felt for him in her eyes.

He didn't react much. The only thing that gave him away, the only thing that told her she had shocked him, was the flicker of his lone eye. "I knew there was something amiss with their deaths," he said raspily. He cocked his head as he turned his body towards her. "How did you know?"

Her smile was cold, devoid of any warmth. She would not tell him how she had first found out about the truth of Uchiha Massacre, how Sasuke had muttered the devastating words in his fever, displaying how the story had affected him all these years. She would not give Danzo the satisfaction of knowing that he had tormented another living person.

"Did you know that Uchiha Itachi kept a journal? Did you know that the _Third Hokage_ kept a written report of the whole ordeal—a very, very _detailed_ report. He must have wanted someone to find out about it one day because it wasn't hard to break the seal he made on the scroll. Oh, yes, Danzo—he wrote everything down, including how you persuaded him day and night to carry out the assassination order. In fact, he questioned a few things, a few blank spaces in his mind." She gestured to the bandage that covered the spot where his stolen Sharingan eye had once been, before Naruto and Tsunade had ripped it out of him. "Did you use that on the Third Hokage?"

The old man scoffed. "I probably wouldn't have had to. He would have eventually given in. Sarutobi was always so weak—with the three of us pressuring him, he wouldn't have resisted the idea for long. This—" he tapped the clean bandage "—only quickened the process. Wanting the same result, Mitokoda and Utatane never questioned how the whole thing came about."

Sakura's fist clenched. "You're more of a monster that I thought you were," she hissed, fury underlining her words.

"Does your beloved Hokage know about this?" he asked, a sneer tilting his lips at the mention of Tsunade.

"She will once I'm done."

Danzo threw back his head and chuckled mirthlessly. "I always knew someone will come to kill me for my part in this. I never imagined it would be a little medic, though. I must admit I underestimated you, Haruno. I suppose I won't have the opportunity to do the same thing again, will I?"

"You supposed right." Sakura studied him, noting his weakened state—something she and her drugs were partly responsible of. But unlike him, she wouldn't underestimate him. "

Are you going to fight me?" she asked. She would welcome the attempt.

"Did the others fight?" he shot back.

She didn't answer him, resisting the urge to rub the healing bruise on her hip. Utatane hadn't put up a fight but Mitokado had managed to surprise her with a few blows. Not like any of it mattered—she had watched their cremation with her own eyes, taking great pleasure in the burning stench that had filled the air.

She took several steps towards him, like a predator stalking an easy prey. There was a tang of fear in her tongue, but she embraced it. Being fearless was stupid; fear was good—it made a person cautious.

Danzo met her head on, climbing to his feet on shaky legs. "You would really kill an old, helpless man?"

"Why not?" she growled. "You sent a child to kill his family."

"They will punish you for this."

She shrugged. "Perhaps. But perhaps not. Who will care anyway? People already think you're dead. Besides, I'm a medic. I've spent hours in autopsy rooms—I know how to kill you in ways that seem natural. I've done it before—I even did it with the Elders."

"You would have made a wonderful Root," Danzo said. Much to her disgust, there was genuine admiration in the old man's tone.

"I make an even better Konoha kunoichi," she retorted. Slowly, so that he would see the instrument that would case his death, she retracted the syringe from her side, drawing in her own special concoction of poison from the small tube. "I won't lie—it will be painful. How unfortunate that you won't be able to scream."

To his credit, he did try to fight, but he was too weak and she was too strong. She subdued him easily, whispering a jutsu that Shikamaru had taught her. She didn't have a unique bloodline nor did she have eyes that could paralyse a person. But she _was _hardworking. She had spent hours with the Nara, learning how to keep an opponent in his place without making it seem too obvious.

She looked at him for long minutes, seeing the fear that had finally crept into his withered face. This would be a mark against her soul, but she didn't care. She wouldn't have become a shinobi if she were the sort of person who worried about mortal sins and the like. Theirs was a world that would always be in shades of gray. Right was never completely right and wrong would always be questionable.

She pictured Sasuke, burdened and haunted by the dreadful truth of the Uchiha Massacre. She imagined Itachi, having to slaughter his own kin like animals so that the village he had been utterly loyal to would have peace. Such had been their lives.

She would avenge them. She would punish for them. She would give them the justice they deserved.

She was shinobi. This was her way.

She raised her hand and deftly shoved the needle into the traitor's neck.

**To be continued**


	9. Coming Clean

Okay, people, we're close to the finish line. I'll be updating rather quickly because I want to make sure that the story is equally updated in all of the sites I'm posting it on before I round it up completely. I'm feeling a bit sad, but I'm more excited because I've already typed up the first drafts for TWO new stories.

The responses so far have been wonderful. Thank you, and I hope to hear more.

Onwards!

* * *

**Chapter 9: Coming Clean**

There was a quiet, but firm series of knocks on her apartment door. Sakura, lying on her living room couch, had awoken the moment she felt the presence of another person on her porch. She hadn't been sleeping restfully anyway, listening as the sky turned from a silent night to bird-chirping dawn.

She climbed to her feet and padded over to the door, which she opened an inch. The hand holding a kunai relaxed slightly when she saw the ANBU-clad shinobi standing on the other side.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Haruno Sakura," the muffled voice said. "You are to come to the Hokage's Tower immediately. Your presence is required by the Hokage herself."

She nodded and turned to gather her pouch. As she made to close the door, the ANBU soldier stopped her and said, "I am to escort you there."

"Very well. Give me a second." She kept the door open and careful to not make any sudden moves, she picked up her pouch, and strapped it to her side. She was already fully dressed, having expected the summons. She gave her ponytail a tug, making sure that her hair was neat before once again turning to face the ANBU. "I'm ready."

The masked man nodded and gently grasped her arm. ANBU shinobi had to hide their identities, but due to the chakra patterns and the familiarity of the mask's design of this particular soldier, she knew it was Hyuuga Neji standing next to her. Either he had been conveniently present when Tsunade decided to summon her, or he had been chosen specifically to escort her. She suspected it was the latter. A person of his position wouldn't have been given such a menial task of being a messenger if it weren't an important meeting.

Less than two minutes later, they were both standing in front of the Tower. She shook her head to clear the slight dizzying effects of the transportation jutsu before climbing the stairs that led to Tsunade's office, Neji following close behind.

Tsunade was seated behind her huge desk, for once not showing any of the early-morning gruffness she usually felt. If Sakura was surprised by the four other men in her office, she didn't let it show. Her expression was perfectly impassive, marred only with the proper amount of respect that her leader deserved.

Across her desk, Konoha's Tactician Specialist, Nara Shikamaru, sat in one of the two chairs. Her former lover and one of her dearest friends offered her a polite nod in greeting, which she returned. She did the same thing as she met the cold-as-usual gaze of Morino Ibiki. The head of ANBU was as austere and as unwelcoming as usual. He was the boogeyman of ANBU and every shinobi worth their salt was always slightly wary of him.

The only presence that gave her comfort was that of the man slouched next to the closed window, having likely refused the offer to sit down. The most reluctant member of Tsunade's council, as he never did possess any political ambitions, Hatake Kakashi remained in his relaxed position as she entered the room. The corner of his exposed eye crinkled as he turned his head towards her, offering as much warmth as he could in that small movement.

Beside him stood the only living person that he probably truly idolized, illustrious author and hermit extraordinaire, Jiraiya. He, too, was slumped next to the window and gave her what could only be described as a leer as she entered room. Having been a regular recipient of that lascivious smile ever since she increased a bra size, she deftly ignored it.

Neji closed the door behind her, but he didn't leave the room. He guarded the door, his stance as rigid as usual. He must have been debriefed then, before he came after her.

"Good morning, Tsunade-sama. Everyone," Sakura said politely, coming to a halt in front of her leader's desk.

"Sakura," the Hokage returned. "Have a seat."

She didn't immediately obey. "May I stand?" she asked instead and heard Shikamaru's discreet cough. The corner of Kakashi's eye crinkled even more.

"Fine," Tsunade said crisply. She leaned back in her seat, folding her hands across her flat stomach. No one in the room was fooled by her relaxed position. There was a taut silence in the room as everyone waited to see who would crack first.

It was Tsunade, but not because she was easy. Her impatience was barely concealed. "It should go without saying that the details of this meeting do not leave this room unless I say otherwise," she warned. They all nodded.

The Hokage turned her steely gaze on the only other female in the room. "Danzo is dead," she announced without much preamble.

Sakura's tone was neutral as she responded. "He was alive when I left him. Healthy, even." That had been two days ago. Her poison had been well conceived. She offered a silent prayer of thanks to the enemies that had drugged her. If it weren't for them and her own natural forte for poisons, she wouldn't have been able to execute Danzo as well as she had—the same could also be said for the other two Elders.

"So you say," Tsunade murmured, clearly believing otherwise. "The guards mentioned that he didn't speak at all before he died, nor did he move much. Other than this, he showed no signs that anything was amiss."

Sakura fought back the urge to smirk. How could he have? She had modified the poison so that it would destroy his vocal chords as well as weaken his motor abilities. Along with a carefully-placed memory jutsu, Danzo would have been unable to convey the torment he was going through—or the person responsible for his agony. Konoha would benefit greatly from this new form of biological weapon.

"I performed the autopsy myself," Tsunade went on. "Absolutely zero trace of foul play. If it weren't so damn coincidental, I would have said he died the same way Utatane had—peacefully in his sleep."

Sakura remained mute, not willing to show her cards yet. She was good at this. How could she not be? Everyone in this room had been, in one form or another, responsible for helping her become the shinobi she was today. She might not be very good at hiding her feelings when it came to Sasuke, and she would probably be always more emotional than most shinobi—but she was damn good at her job, nonetheless.

"Sakura." There was a heaviness in Tsunade's tone. "You have never lied to me."

"I only stretch the truth." She could have sworn Kakashi chuckled at this and Jiraiya turned his head to hide his smile.

Tsunade wasn't as amused. "As a loyal shinobi of Konoha, I ask you this: did you play any part in Danzo's death?"

She didn't hesitate. "Yes."

"And Utatane's and Mitokoda's?"

"Yes." At this, all the men present stiffened and Tsunade's eyes narrowed further.

"Did you act alone?" the Hokage asked coldly.

"Entirely alone, Hokage-sama." She wouldn't have burdened any of her loved ones with this.

"I see." Tsunade cleared her throat. "Konohamaru told me that you asked to go through his late grandfather's personal study room, under the pretense that you were looking for some old case. Due to your reputation—and his affection for you—" the older woman smiled wryly "—he didn't suspect otherwise."

Sakura shrugged a shoulder casually. "I didn't find anything in the study room."

"No, you didn't." Tsunade rummaged through her desk drawer and pulled out a heavy file, letting it fall onto the desk with a heavy thud. "You found it in the Hokage's file chamber."

Sakura didn't bother denying this. Only very few people were aware of the secret chamber that existed in the Hokage's Tower. Being the Hokage's former apprentice had paid off in more ways than one. She knew how to enter the chamber and, after finding the hidden compartment that held the Third Hokage's extremely confidential report on the Uchiha Massacre, it hadn't been difficult (as she had told Danzo) to break the seal to procure it. Only someone who had known what to look for would have found it—and Sakura had carried the devastating knowledge for quite a while.

"And this?" Tsunade held up a well-worn journal whose pages were filled with the neat, unfamiliar handwriting she suspected—and was later confirmed by Kakashi—belonged to Uchiha Itachi.

"It was behind the wall of Sasuke's closet in the Uchiha Manor." Sakura's voice cracked a bit when she announced this. She could imagine what had happened all those years ago. A crying eight-year-old boy in his bedroom, weeping at the loss of his family. None of the sympathetic shinobi had wanted to cause him further pain by rummaging through his room as well, believing they had found all the evidence they had needed to verify Uchiha Itachi's guilt.

So many things could have been different had they assumed otherwise.

The look on Tsunade's face told Sakura that she, too, echoed this thought. It was the second time Sakura had seen how old her leader truly was.

"You purposely left the door to the Hokage's room opened. You wanted me to find these," the older woman stated, gesturing at the damaging documents.

"Yes," Sakura repeated. She had snuck back in after she had killed Danzo and placed the files on top of a table in plain sight.

The Hokage let out loud sigh. "Why don't you start from the very beginning, Sakura? Tell me everything you should have told me from the day you returned."

And Sakura did. In the quietness of the early morning, when all of Konoha's unsuspecting citizens were just beginning to awaken and go about their daily routines, Sakura revealed everything to her leader and the men she had fought side-by-side with for so many years. She told them how she had been poisoned by enemy nin and how funny fate had been by having Sasuke stumble upon her while she was dying. She told them of how he had saved her life and had somehow been attacked by a smaller dose of the same drug. She expressed how, in his feverish mumblings, he had shared with her bits and pieces of the truth concerning the Uchiha Massacre. She shared how Sasuke, in his stupor, had admitted to risking his life to defeat Uchiha Madara, a man they had believed to be long dead. Armed with all of this knowledge, she had returned to the village and spent numerous hours to find solid proof.

"And I did," she said, her shoulders drooping a bit. She told them everything except the exact location of Sasuke's house and the wonderful week she had spent learning to love him again.

"Underneath the underneath," Kakashi said gruffly. He, along with the other men, had grumbled as they listened to horrifying details, further disillusioned by the conniving politics carried out by the village they had sworn their lives to. Kakashi ached for his former student—for _all_ of his former students. For quite some time, he had believed Sasuke to be a coward for turning his back on Konoha and its people for the sake of vengeance. He had pitied Naruto for his optimism concerning his best friend and felt sorry for Sakura for the love she had carried for the younger Uchiha for so long.

He also felt sorry for himself, too.

"You should work for Interrogation," Ibiki added and Sakura nearly laughed, because that was as close of a compliment the stern man would ever give another person.

Jiraiya continued to gaze out of the window. So many thoughts were running through his head, a majority of them unpleasant ones. He wondered how his old teacher could have agreed to such a thing. He wondered why he'd never taken the time to investigate the Uchiha Massacre, despite the suspicions he'd had. He wondered how on earth Naruto was going to take this news.

He also wondered if the local women's bath house had eased a bit on its security since the bouncer they had hired nearly killed him several months ago.

Neither Neji nor Shikamaru were unaffected, as well. They were both bristling, in fact. They hadn't known Uchiha Sasuke well, nor did they share the great affection the former Team Seven clearly had for the missing nin. But they had played an important role in the retrieval squad sent after him all those years ago, and that episode had changed them momentously. Furthermore, Uchiha had been a part of the Rookie Nine, and had he stayed, would have turned their Konoha Eleven into Twelve.

To put simply, Uchiha Sasuke had been one of _them_.

Tsunade studied each of their faces. Her people were angry and this was only a handful of them. If the truth were to be revealed, she would likely have a revolt on her hands.

Aside from the deep sadness she felt for the Uchihas, especially Itachi, she was also angry with herself. Like her oldest friend and former teammate, she had questioned the Uchiha Massacre, but hadn't taken the time to delve deeper into the case. Her own personal grief had consumed her and when she became Hokage, duties as the village leader had taken precedence above all else. She had placed her doubts concerning the Massacre on the back burner. Had she not done so . . . had she not done so, she would have been able to save so much pain, including that of the young woman who had taken it upon herself to uncover the truth.

It was times like these that she truly regretted the clandestine world she had been chosen to lead.

She returned her attention to her former student. So young, so deceptively innocent. Tsunade's tough heart fairly broke for her. "You should have told me from the very beginning, Sakura," she rasped.

"And what would you have done?" Sakura shot back, hackles rising a fair bit. "Would you have done it differently? Not that it would have mattered. Even if you had come up with another solution, I would still have done what I did and screw the consequences!"

From his place by the window, Kakashi flinched. It was the first time he had ever heard the normally-sweet Sakura sounding so disrespectful to the Hokage. She was so full of passion, unyielding and not at all of regretful of her actions.

He'd never been more proud.

"You acted out of anger!" Tsunade snapped, frustration with Sakura and with herself hardening her tone of voice.

Green eyes blazed. "Yes, I did! I was furious—I still am, but at least I damn well feel a bit better now that those monsters are rotting in their graves!" Sakura hissed. "Call it what you want, Tsunade-sama, but I served justice. I don't regret a single thing—I _know _I did the right thing. Sasuke—friends do _not _leave friends behind, goddammit!"

Correction, Kakashi thought, smiling beneath his mask. This was the proudest he'd ever felt of Sakura.

Tsunade's jaw was clenched so tightly she was afraid she'd break it. She was breathing hard in an effort to calm down, her gaze harsh on Sakura's. She didn't want to admit it, but there was truth to the younger kunoichi's words. If she stopped to think about it—and she was doing just that—Sakura had actually done her and the village a favor. She had found solid proof of the truth behind the Massacre and meted out her own form of punishment in a way that wouldn't raise any questions, therefore saving the taxpayers the hassle of a long trial that would have undoubtedly taken place otherwise. She exchanged a look with Ibiki. After a moment of silent conversation between the two, she turned back to Sakura. "Under the circumstances," she said in her best Hokage-voice, "you will not be punished."

Sakura's eyes widened.

"_But_," the Hokage added, unwilling to show that she absolutely approved of the young woman's actions, "you are ordered to attend a psychiatric evaluation handled by Morino Ibiki and will be suspended from missions until both he and I agree that you are fit to do otherwise. You'll be lucky to be given even D-class missions! You are to carry out your hospital duties with extended graveyard shifts." She lifted a brow. "Do you want to argue against this?"

"No, Hokage-sama," Sakura answered respectfully. She was actually relieved, having prepared for the worst.

"Good. Is there anything else you would like to say on the matter?"

"Yes." The pink-haired kunoichi straightened her shoulders and lifted her chin. "I would like for Uchiha Itachi to be publicly acknowledged for being the best damned patriot this village has ever seen. Furthermore, for his actions in bringing down a large threat against the village, Uchiha Sasuke should be pardoned as well."

Tsunade gaped at such audacity. "Careful, Sakura—you're treading on very thin ice here."

Bright, green eyes narrowed in defiance. "It's nothing less than what they deserve," she bit out, daring anyone in this room to dispute this.

"I will discuss it with the council!" Tsunade barked. "Care to dig your own grave further?" she dared, despite herself, and glared at Jiraiya when he laughed.

Sakura stared at her leader for long moments. For the first time since learning the truth, she was suddenly faced with perfect clarity. Even while she had executed the Elders and Danzo, she had doubts—but not anymore. No. She finally knew what she _really _wanted.

"Yes, I have something else to say," she declared, surprising everyone in the room. She clasped her hands behind her back and her stance turned formal. "Hokage-sama of the Leaf," she began.

Kakashi had finally quit his relaxed position, his exposed eye opened wide. "Sakura—"

She ignored her former instructor, her attention perfectly focused on Tsunade. "In front of all these witnesses, including an esteemed member of your council, I hereby request an indefinite leave of absence from my position as an ANBU combatant, as a member of Konoha Hospital's Surgical Team, as a medic nin, as a part of Team Kakashi and finally, as a shinobi of Leaf. I will carry out the punishment you have given me and will continue to be on duty until you give me leave. Please consider this as my notice."

Her words hung heavily in the air as everyone, including the normally stoic Morino Ibiki, stared at her in disbelief, shocked by her pronouncement.

Kakashi sprung forward. "Don't do this, Sakura," he whispered harshly.

She turned to face him, her expression perfectly calm. They looked at each other for a while until understanding dawned upon him. With a firm nod, he stepped back and returned to his place by the window.

Tsunade was sitting upright in her seat, her palms flat on her desk. "And what will you be doing in this . . . absence?" she questioned almost icily.

Sakura didn't verbally reply, but the look on her face told everyone just exactly what she would be doing.

"And if I deny this request?"

"Then as a loyal follower, I will abide by your decision," Sakura answered honestly.

Tsunade harrumphed, eyeing her former apprentice thoughtfully. "Is this what you really want, Sakura?" she asked softly, almost tenderly.

At that, Sakura gave her leader a level look. "Yes." She paused, and then added, "Were you in my position, would you have wanted anything else?"

Tsunade thought of her brother and then of her beloved Dan. Had either of these men been alive . . . she wouldn't have thought twice before she willingly went to them. To spend what time she had with the people she loved . . . . She glanced at Jiraiya, who nodded back at her. Both she and he were guilty of taking a long time off. The two of them knew what it felt like to leave the village, to live a life that was absolutely selfish—that was absolutely theirs. No, she wanted to tell Sakura, but refrained from doing so. She wouldn't have wanted for anything else.

She took a deep breath and released it slowly. "Haruno Sakura of the Leaf," she said, using her Hokage voice once more. "In front of these witnesses, your peers and fellow countrymen, including an esteemed member of my council, I hereby grant your request for an indefinite leave of absence from your duties as an ANBU combatant, as a member of Konoha Hospital's Surgical Team, as a medic nin, as a part of Team Kakashi, and finally, as a shinobi of the Leaf. As for your punishment–it will probably take several months, four at most. You _can _wait a bit longer, can you?"

Sakura nearly sagged in relief. "Oh, yes," she breathed out. "That won't be a problem."

"I didn't think it would. Listen here, Haruno Sakura," the Hokage continued, "you are to answer immediately to the call of duty should you be summoned and you are not allowed to offer official aid to any other village without permission." For the first time that morning, Tsunade smiled and pride shone in her red-brown eyes. "You have served your country well. Remember that you are a part of this proud village and to always act accordingly, lest you shame us. You have the Will of Fire within you—walk with your head held high and may your journey from this day forward be a prosperous one."

"Thank you, Tsunade-sama," Sakura said, feeling the prickle of tears at the back of her eyes. "Thank you."

Tsunade discreetly wiped away her own tears and gave a firm nod. "This meeting is adjourned," she said breezily. "Return this afternoon to sign the official papers."

Her heart beating like a drum in her chest, she gave her village leader and the rest of the shinobi in the room one final nod before turning to leave the room. She all but skipped out, the heaviness that had settled in her heart since she left Sasuke's house easing slightly.

She didn't get far before her quivering legs forced her to stop. She was still within earshot of the office when she slumped against the wall, shaking like a leaf. She was startled when a heavy hand fell on her shoulder and she turned to see the beloved, masked face of her former instructor, one of the men she had come to consider as family.

"Kakashi-sensei . . ." she whispered. Unlike Naruto, she'd never been able to drop that title. To her, he would always be, first and foremost, her teacher.

The shift of his mask told her he was smiling underneath the fabric he'd worn for so long. He searched her face and as if finding what he was looking for, he shook his head knowingly. With a gentle tug, he pulled her closer, placing his hand on the back of her head so that it rested on his shoulder.

That was all it took for the tears to burst out of her. She didn't care that they were in the hallway of the Hokage Tower, that they weren't far from the Hokage's office, or that any moment, any of their peers could come along and find her sobbing on her Genin instructor's shirt. She allowed the tears to fall freely, her shoulders heaving with the effort.

"I know it's stupid and ridiculous . . . and-and unbecoming to cry," she wailed into his shirt. "But I don't care. I . . . just for today, I want to cry and cry until I can't cry anymore!"

Kakashi didn't stop her—he didn't even want to. Instead, he merely patted her head and held the female he respected most in the world a bit tighter.

**To be continued**


	10. The Choice I Have Made

*** This isn't a new chapter. Mysteriously, my story was removed. Are the Powers That Be telling me something? Anyway, I'm just double checking the eleventh chapter at the moment. Be on the look for it some time this week. Peace and love.**

Read, enjoy and review.

* * *

**Chapter 10: The Choice I Have Made**

Sasuke threw the piece of wood he'd just chopped onto the growing pile and lifted his head with a frown. There it was again, the sound of one of his traps exploding. It was the second time in the last hour. When the first one set off, he'd assumed it was caused by some unfortunate critter. Now, though, he wasn't so sure.

The sound came from quite a distance away, but he'd rigged it so that he could hear even from the safety of his house. He wondered if he should go and check it out, though he didn't see cause for concern. If it were anyone or anything that posed a threat, they would have been skilled enough to not set off the traps.

_**BOOM!**_

There it was again! Sasuke let out a growl of frustration this time. It was as if his traps were being disturbed on purpose. Seriously. He was getting annoyed enough to kill.

He paused when he felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise. The third trap not only brought a closer-sounding noise of explosion, it was also accompanied by a pulse of chakra.

A large one, at that.

It took him a second, then his eyes widened. He knew that chakra, had become intimately familiar with it. It was—

The chakra spiked again.

He dropped his axe and took off running.

* * *

Sakura felt him before she saw him. Her feet landed lightly on the ground and she nearly shouted in glee.

It had been nearly half a year since she last saw him. It had taken longer than she'd expected to wrap everything up in Konoha, but she was finally, in the best sense of the word, free. She was still a shinobi of the Leaf—that was a title she wouldn't ever shed—but she was now free to be with Sasuke.

She'd spend many nights—the only time when she wasn't occupied with one activity or another—thinking of Sasuke. She knew he would still be at his house. He'd planted roots there and he wasn't the type to move around much unless necessary. She'd wondered how and what he was doing, if he had found another woman to replace her in his bed. She had bravely decided that she wouldn't have minded if he had slept with someone else after she'd left. They hadn't made any promises and while he wasn't an ordinary man, he was a _man_, nonetheless. Plus, if he _had _slept with someone else, he wouldn't have been serious with the other woman. She wouldn't mind.

She would probably kick his ass, but she would look past it.

Sakura lifted her head and breathed in the scent of the autumn forest. Her lips formed a large smile. From the feel of it, Sasuke was moving towards her at a neck-breaking speed.

There was a _whooshing_ sound and then he was in front of her.

Joy flashed through her so swiftly that she trembled at its impact.

He was as gorgeous as ever, possibly even more so. His black eyes were open wide with shock as he stared back at her, his too-long hair windswept and so deliciously ruffled. He was breathing hard, though she knew it wasn't from his run.

She'd imagined this meeting for so long, but now that they were here, she found herself speechless. She wanted to laugh, she wanted to cry—and she really, really wanted to kiss him.

They looked at each other for a long while, both of them taking in the sight of the other. Finally, she couldn't stand it any longer. With a _whoop_ she couldn't hold back, she jumped at him.

He met her halfway and it felt like the most natural thing in the world for him to wrap his arms around her, taking on her weight as she circled his slim hips with her legs. He grasped the back of her head while his other hand cupped her round bottom, lifting her higher. He steadied his legs, tightened his grip and tugged on her hair to receive his kiss.

At the first touch of his lips on hers, she whimpered. He dimly wondered if he was hurting her, but he didn't stop kissing her. He couldn't. He deepened the kiss and used his tongue to part her lips before sliding it deep to taste the familiar sweetness. As his mouth hungrily took hers, he finally allowed himself to admit that he'd missed her, so much so that it had been painful.

They continued to devour each other, gasps escaping between kisses. Sakura tilted her head further and received his passionate oral assault, her nails digging into the cloth covering his back. He was a bit sweaty and he smelled of wood and leaves and suddenly she didn't care that once again, they were exposed in the middle of the forest. She wanted him—and she wanted him _now_.

Apparently, he shared the same sentiment, because his hands grew more aggressive, his mouth more hungry. With her still clinging to him like a monkey, he blindly took several steps forward, their lips still attached to one another. She yelped underneath his mouth as her back hit the bark of a tree hard, but the pain was quickly forgotten as his hand moved from her butt to between their legs.

Like their joining that wonderful afternoon after their shopping trip, there was no lingering foreplay. She loosened her legs just enough for him to pull down her shorts along with her panties—when she heard the rip, she lamented the loss of another pair of pretty underwear—and he drew back a bit to practically tear open the buttons of his trousers. His fingers brushed against her swollen clit several times to make sure she was ready before he encircled himself to notch the head of his steel-hard shaft to the damp opening of her vagina.

They both let out exuberant cries as he slid deep into her, his hips thrusting upwards to fully embed himself inside. Tears prickled her eyes because damn it, he felt so right! She had missed him terribly, and until him, she had never been truly aware of how important it was, this perfect intimacy with the one you love.

He paused for a moment, pleasure flowing through him. "Fuck, you're tight," he rasped and she wanted to laugh because these were the first words he'd spoken to ever since he crashed through the trees.

From then on, there wasn't much need for words. He pressed her closer against the tree, withdrew his cock halfway before plunging back in so strongly, they _both_ yelled. She clung on to him as he repeated the motion again and again, groans, pants and muttered curses temporarily making up for any conservation that should have taken place.

"Faster, harder, Sasuke, faster!" she egged him on. She could feel the bark of the tree digging into the flesh of her bottom, possibly breaking skin, but she didn't care. Her mouth was moving all over his face, down his sharp cheekbones and across the strong line of his jaw. Her hips rose to meet each of his thrust and urgent-filled moans were torn from her throat. She felt as if he should be closer, deeper. Fear abruptly overwhelmed her and for a split second, she was afraid that she was dreaming, and that any moment, she would wake up and find herself still in her bedroom in Konoha.

He must have sensed her fright, because he increased the speed and intensity of his thrusts, burying himself so deep he could practically feel her womb. He wrapped his fingers around her knee, lifting it higher against his side. He, too, was feeling a sense of urgency, and he gritted his teeth to hold back the urge to come right then and there. He wouldn't achieve climax before she did; she would come first or they would come together.

"More, more, more, more!" She was mindless with need, the promise of an orgasm so very close.

Out of nowhere, she suddenly closed her teeth sharply around his earlobe and the slight twinge caused him to let out a roar. His eyes bled red and whatever control he'd sought for was forgotten as he began to pound into her with shinobi speed.

"Yes, yes, _oh yes!_" Sakura screamed as she blessedly achieved release. Pleasure swarmed over her and her eyes rolled to the back of her head as she lost herself to the moment.

Sasuke gritted his teeth as the walls of her pussy constricted around him. Fighting the tightness, he pulled all the way out and then shoved himself all the way in one more time. His bellow of her name ripped through the forest as he spurted hard within her.

Sakura slumped backwards, boneless. She pried open her eyes to peek at him, amazed that he still managed to hold both of them up. Spots were still dancing through her head, and she basked in one of the loveliest feelings of her life.

"Thank God," she murmured.

He grunted in reply.

She started to laugh, pulling his head to hers for a soft kiss, which soon grew more intense. Never mind that she was still throbbing from a mind-blowing orgasm. She had gone without him for _months _and he had pay for her misery.

She told him that, in a sassy way, and he allowed himself a small smile.

He was only too willing to comply.

* * *

Neither found the energy to immediately return to his house. Against the tree that she made a note to one day decorate, they slumped tiredly, lolling in the afterglow of yet another orgasm. They had haphazardly pulled on their clothes and were now lying at the foot of the tree, their arms wrapped around each other.

She ran a hand over his chest and looked up at him with a loving smile. Her voice soft so to not spoil the quietness of the moment, she said, "I killed Danzo—and the Elders too." She nearly laughed because she was partly amused; _this _was their form of pillow talk.

His arm tightened around her and he stared back at her for a long moment. Finally, he spoke, his voice deep and somber. "I heard about the Elders." He paused, searching her face intently. "How did you know?" He was deeply curious. The shock of her words still hadn't fully hit him.

"It's common for people to share their secrets during fevers," was her way of her answering. "And sometimes—sometimes, you talk in your sleep, Sasuke."

"You never indicated anything." He was highly disgruntled.

She giggled. "You wouldn't have liked hearing it," she pointed out as-a-matter-of-factly.

He grunted, not disagreeing with her.

His eyes took a faraway lips and she traced his lips to pull him back to her. Lifting herself higher against him, she pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. "Will you tell me?" she asked gently. "About Madara . . . and about Itachi?"

He was silent for a long time, until at last, he let out a sigh and told her everything she wanted to know.

His tone was impassive, as if he were reciting from a book instead of the actual, horrific events of his life. He told her of his fight with Itachi, of how he believed he had achieved his ultimate goal when he defeated his older brother. He told of her of the shock and fury he'd felt when, after Itachi's death, he learned about the truth of the Uchiha Massacre and Itachi's part in it. He'd gone a bit insane after that, he grudgingly admitted. The lies that had shaped his life were too much to handle and he'd been an easy prey to his kinsman's trap then. Uchiha Madara had taken advantage of his wrath and immense sense of betrayal, and egged him on into seeking another type of revenge—that against the village responsible for his torment: Konoha.

At this, Sakura flinched because Sasuke didn't hold back as he described to her all his plans of literally burning Konoha to the ground. He had been _that_ furious.

"What changed your mind?" she questioned. This was an answer she hadn't been able to find in her investigation.

He didn't lose his honesty. "I knew when Pein decided to invade Konoha. That was the plan Madara concocted. We—my team and I, and Madara—were lying in wake, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike."

She felt a twinge at the mention of his other team, but decided to let it go for the sake of a bigger issue.

"Madara was watching Pein's attack from another location. I was ordered to wait in one of the Uchiha hideouts not far from the village and he would send a message once he deemed it time. It was there that for some unknown reason, Itachi's Akatsuki partner, Kisame—"

"The fish man?"

He cracked a slight smile. "Yes, that one. Among the Akatsuki members that I knew, he was always a bit different. Perhaps he'd grown weary of wars or could no longer agree with the ideology Madara and Akatsuki carried. Fuck, maybe he'd grown a heart. I don't know, but for whatever reason, he approached me. He reminded me that everything Itachi had ever done was to protect me and that as a shinobi and someone who had experienced it firsthand, to be aware that nothing was ever what it seems to be. Then he gave me something."

"What did he give you?"

"Whenever an Uchiha child of the main family is born, they are given a stone that is shaped and polished by the fire breathed by their fathers. This takes a lot of energy and would usually leave the father weakened for several days. It's a tradition to show how much a father is willing to sacrifice for his child," Sasuke added with a bitter laugh, most likely thinking of his father. "After the Massacre, I thought Itachi had thrown his away, but he didn't. It was this birthstone that Kisame gave to me."

"How did a stone change your mind?" Sakura was a bit incredulous because neither her pleas nor Naruto's form of tough love had accomplished such a thing.

"It didn't," Sasuke said wryly. "It was what was _in _the stone that bothered me. Itachi had managed to plant a bit of his thoughts inside the stone. This is supposed to be impossible, so my brother didn't achieve full success. Only a sliver of memory managed to filter through and when I looked at it with my Mangekyou, I saw two images."

Sasuke paused in his speech and Sakura waited patiently for him to continue. She saw the way his eyes flickered a bit.

"It was the morning of the massacre," he announced quietly. "I saw my eight-year-old-self—but more importantly, I saw Madara.

"I didn't change my mind immediately. I still wanted to destroy Konoha, but I did start to question things. I didn't want to wait for Madara then. I teleported to where he was. He was angry when he saw me and grew even more angry when I started to demand answers. It made sense to me—Itachi was strong, the strongest in our family history, but even _he _couldn't have killed so many Uchihas in the time he'd taken. He had to have had an accomplice."

"Madara."

He nodded. He went on to tell her about the heated conversation between him and his ancestor. Sasuke had pushed and pushed until he managed to make Madara admit to his own personal plan concerning Konoha. He had boasted about how smart he was, about how patient he had been. It was this obvious manipulation that had infuriated Sasuke, who was already on the verge of homicide. Finally, it had been Madara's last words that lit the proverbial flame.

"I knew Itachi would go and spoil everything," the older Uchiha had said derisively. "He was always the weakest link. Ever the pacifist, so intent on peace. I should have killed him along with your wretched mother."

Whatever sanity Sasuke had possessed then had disappeared and with another target so close in front of him, he had attacked Madara. It was a great fight, one that did not promise a survival outcome for either of them. In the end, though, Sasuke had triumphed—just barely.

"I killed him with a Chidori to the head," Sasuke declared without any hint of pride. "Until today, I still don't quite know how I did it. I was strong, but Madara . . . he had lived for a very long time and had acquired a lot of power. It was probably his arrogance—he'd been sure that he'd beat me—that led to his downfall. The members of my group had followed me and interfered sometime during the fight. Two of them were killed, but Suigetsu survived—simply because he was the only one who didn't interfere."

"And what about you?" Sakura asked, fingering the jagged scar beneath his shirt that she now knew was a memento from the battle.

"I was dying," he said simply. "And I was willing to die, but Suigetsu carried me away from the area. He found a civilian doctor not far away and for two weeks, I was in and out of consciousness. When I finally came to, Pein was already defeated and Konoha was recovering from his attack. Nothing seemed to matter anymore after that."

They both stopped talking after that, drifting off with their own thoughts. Sakura placed her head on his chest, her gaze distant. There were still many questions she wanted to ask him, still so many gaps that she knew needed to be filled. However, they could wait another day. Sasuke had already given her the more important details anyway.

For now, she just wanted to enjoy the fact that he was here with her, alive and well. He had come so close to death, and the scariest thing was that she had never known this. He could have died and she would have never known. She would have gone off with her life, believing that he was somewhere in the world, angry and tormented by his demons, but still alive.

She pressed a kiss to his throat, breathing in his scent. "You could have come to us," she stated almost accusingly. "Pein attacking or not, you know Naruto, Kakashi and I would have come to you immediately."

"It was something I needed to do. It was my burden to bear." He glanced down at her, his eyes narrowed. "Danzo and the Elders shouldn't have been yours."

She shrugged. "It was something I needed to do," she shot back smartly.

He allowed himself a small smile.

She wasn't willing to talk about Danzo and the Elders and her subsequent actions yet. Death wasn't foreign to her, but executing members of her own village was. Though she didn't regret it, her action lied heavily in her heart, but as shinobi, the things you did would never be what you really want—sometimes, they were simply something you _had _to do.

She burrowed closer to him, delighting in his warmth.

"What happens now?" he asked after a while. He didn't deal well with uncertainties.

She lifted her head and gave him one of the biggest grins he'd ever seen. "Now—now, I'm on an indefinite leave of absence from the village and all of my duties. And before you ask—no, it's not because of what I did. I _asked_ for the leave and was granted it. There are several stipulations, but none that will prevent me from doing what I want."

"And what is that you want?" Sasuke demanded, unable to believe the fear that crept within him.

She didn't lose her smile. She gently cupped his face, tracing the shape of his cheekbone. "I lied when I said I loved you."

He stiffened.

"No, no, no, no." She shook her head quickly. "I meant every word that day at the market place. I meant, I lied when I said I loved you that night you left Konoha—which, by the way I'll be sure to kick your ass for leaving me on a _freaking_ bench. I could have been robbed, or worse, I could have been _raped!_ You're gonna have to pay for that, Sasuke."

"_Sakura_."

"Oh, right." She laughed, her green eyes shining brightly. "I was a twelve-year-old girl, Sasuke. I see now that I didn't come close to understanding what it means to really, truly be in love. At that time, love for me was filled with rainbows and sunshine. I supposed I did love you, in a way a young girl could love a young boy, but now . . . what I feel for you is nothing in comparison.

"Uchiha Sasuke," Sakura continued, determination in her voice. "From this day forward, I'll be spending my life with you at that beautiful house you've built. We'll probably fight a lot and I may have to often resist the urge to kill you, but no matter what, _I will love you_—and you damn well will feel the same for me. And if you dare tell me to leave, I'll build my own house at the edge of your stupid property and pester you until you go crazy. If you thought my twelve-year-old self was annoying . . . honey, you haven't seen anything yet!"

He could only stare at her, agape.

When he was silent for too long, she frowned and said, "Er . . . this may a bit late, considering . . . but you haven't—you aren't sleeping with anyone else, are you?"

He looked at her as if she were stupid—and he really _did _thought her so for asking such a question. He hadn't even _considered_ sleeping with another woman since she left his bed. If she had come here three years or so later, maybe his answer would have been different, but for now . . .

"Sasuke!" Sakura shrieked as he suddenly pushed her off of him and onto the ground. She landed flat on her back with a painful yelp because there was a damn twig poking her hip and glared at him.

"You—"

"Shut up, you stupid woman."

"You bas—"

"And stop insulting my legitimacy." He moved until he was completely on top of her, using his arms to hold up most of his weight. "Listen to me," he commanded hoarsely, intensity brimming from every inch of him. "You came here to _me_, so now you're completely _mine_. I'll never let you go again. If you ever try to leave me, if you ever _fucking drug_ me again, I'll come after you. I'll hunt you down and I will seriously _hurt_ you before I drag you back here. I'll hurt you so bad you won't ever _think _of leaving me again."

Moisture had covered Sakura's cheeks during Sasuke's impassioned speech, but she was laughing through her tears. His words were fierce, his eyes telling her that he wasn't at all lying. Any other woman might be frightened because he was actually threatening physical harm, but Sakura wasn't any other woman and she wasn't at all afraid. She knew better.

This was how an Uchiha—or at least this particular Uchiha—said "I love you."

"There might be hope for you yet, Sasuke," she giggled. "We'll work on your emotions-deficiency," she promised before she raised her arms and pulled him to down for a kiss.

There will be difficult days ahead—neither of them was delusional enough to believe otherwise—but they will face those days _together_.

_Always_.

* * *

"Pass me the carrots, sweet-cheeks."

Sasuke practically threw the bowl of diced vegetable at her, a fierce scowl on his face. "How long are you going to keep this up?" he demanded.

She winked at him as she tossed in the carrots into the boiling pot of stew. "Until I find the right nickname . . . _honey-bun_."

He frowned harder. "If you don't stop this, I'll start calling you bit—"

He broke off suddenly to stare out of the kitchen window. She glanced at him, curious, until she too followed the direction of his gaze.

She grinned widely. The burst of chakra was unmistakable.

"Four days. He lasted longer than I thought he would," she told Sasuke in a rather impressed tone.

He glared at her. "I'm going to kill you for telling him where I live."

"Where _we_ live now, peaches," she corrected, her green eyes dancing. "And please," she snorted. "Like you would ever kill the love of your life."

He flipped her off as he turned to head outside. She laughed as she turned down the stove and followed him.

They didn't have to wait long. Seconds after they both walked into the backyard, they heard the sounds of a twig breaking and bushes rustling. These were promptly accompanied by a screeching rodent—probably a squirrel—and a loud, obnoxious curse.

And then the blond appeared, drops of blood dripping from a cut that was already healing.

"Naruto!" Sakura shrieked excitedly, running towards her brother in all but blood. She threw her arms around his sturdy shoulders and gave him a big hug, to which he returned just as warmly. "You came!"

"I would have come sooner, but Tsunade said I needed to give you some privacy," he grumbled, indicating that he'd been physically held back.

She giggled, hugging him tighter. "I'm so glad you're here. He's happy, too," she added in a whisper just before she released him.

Then she stepped back and stood a bit away, but still between the two men she loved most in the world. She had wondered how it would be, this moment. They were both proud men and had viciously drawn blood from one another in a fight that had been filled with hate, anger and betrayal. Their relationship had been deeper than the one Sakura had with either of them, so she knew she couldn't understand what they were both feeling right now.

They stood staring at each for a long while, both of them sizing the other like a pair of opponents in battle.

"Sasuke," Naruto said seriously.

"Idiot."

That was apparently the sign the blond needed. He cracked a grin. "You're still a pretty girl, Sasuke-chan."

"That's what I said!" Sakura crowed. "Well, except the girl part."

"Sakura."

She rolled her eyes and took another step back as Sasuke came a bit closer.

"Not the Hokage yet, dead last?" Sasuke's lips curled into his trademark smirk. "I hear Gaara of Suna is the Kazekage."

Naruto retorted with words so foul, they could singe the skin off a sailor. Sakura wanted to admonish him, but quickly changed her mind.

She had to look away, her throat constricting, as Sasuke slowly lifted an open hand.

Naruto shook it without hesitation, blue eyes bright and filled with unsuppressed happiness. He then tugged on his best friend's hand to pull him into a brotherly hug. To both Sakura's and Naruto's shock and delight, Sasuke returned it.

What followed next was a series of back thumping, chest slapping, rude grunts and offensive language as the two men greeted each other in the way that alpha males did when they saw each other after a long time and did not want to appear too emotional. Sakura didn't bother to hide her tears as she watched the two of them. She had made peace with it, this relationship Sasuke and Naruto had. They would always share a bond that she would never be a part of and that was okay, because she knew they loved her dearly, as well, in their own different ways. She was the same—she loved Sasuke in a way that Naruto could never compare to, and she loved Naruto for all those years when he was her closest friend and confidante.

"Stop crying," Sasuke ordered gruffly, clearly uncomfortable with her tears.

"Stop being mean to Sakura-chan," Naruto scolded him. He looked past his two friends to the spacious house behind them. "So this is where you've been hiding all this while? Fucking hell, he was so close, eh, Sakura-chan? And all this time, we were looking in fucking depressing places like dunes and loony bins! I'm gonna rub this in baa-chan's face!"

"Loony bins?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"Well yeah," Naruto said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. Sakura nodded along. "Some of us were convinced you _had _to be crazy."

Sasuke snorted and then cocked his head, regarding the blond. "You want to go at it now?" he asked and Sakura rolled her eyes again, understanding what he meant.

Naruto thought about it for a moment before shaking his head in regret. "Not yet. Kakashi isn't here and I don't want Sakura to play referee. She loves me too much and she'll cry if I wreck that pretty face of yours. That's the only reason she's with you, you know. That, and the money."

Sasuke returned the insult with a crude flash of his fingers that every shinobi understood.

"Where _is_ Kakashi-sensei, anyway?" Sakura wanted to know.

"He'll be here in a couple of hours. He's an old man—he can't move as fast as I can," Naruto said smugly, his meaning perfectly clear. He had rushed over here in his usual manner, ignoring Kakashi's orders to go according to the prepared schedule.

"Mmm-hmm. There's something to be said about slow and steady, you know," Sakura declared, shooting Sasuke a sly glance that made Naruto guffaw.

Sasuke didn't respond with words, but he gave her a look that promised she would pay for her teasing remark later.

She could hardly wait.

She dragged Naruto inside, excited to give him a tour of the house. She had added a bit of her own touch to the place in the four days since she'd been there and knew that in time, there would be more. Like she told Sasuke—this was _their_ home now.

Naruto, in his customary fashion, complimented everything he knew she was responsible and jeered at the things that were obviously Sasuke's. The two men bickered back and forth as they moved about the house, and Sakura couldn't be happier. It was just like old times.

Only now, they were stronger—and more at peace.

**To be continued.**


	11. A Full Circle

Read, enjoy and review.

* * *

**Chapter 11: A Full Circle**

They were setting the dinner table when Kakashi arrived, Naruto pouting because there was no ramen in sight. He made a remark about the food that prompted Sakura to reach for her kunai and Sasuke was torn between letting her maim their blond friend and not wanting a mess in his house when they heard someone climb onto the front porch.

Unlike Naruto, Kakashi wasn't one for grand entrances. His chakra was completely concealed as he politely knocked on the front door and waited to be invited in.

Sakura was yelling at Naruto to not touch the food as she threw open the door, a welcoming smile on her beautiful face.

"Kakashi-sensei," she greeted, her eyes narrowed. "Late as usual."

"Yes, well, there was a rabbit chasing a fox and I had to stop to ponder on the strangeness of it all. Then a beautiful woman came along and—"

"Come off it, pervert!" Naruto shouted from the living room.

"Please." Sakura opened the door wider and gestured for the silver-haired shinobi to enter. "Welcome to the House of Fun," she muttered sarcastically.

"Any bloodshed yet?" the older man asked as he stepped into the hallway.

"Nope. They're waiting for you."

"That's nice of them. They didn't the first time."

"Don't remind me."

Kakashi chuckled as he walked past her.

Inside the living room, Sasuke stood motionless, once again uncertain as he waited for his former instructor. His relationship with the older man had always been different. Sakura was the woman that held whatever was left of his heart—he could admit that now—while Naruto had a bond with him that was proven to be unbreakable. But Kakashi . . . he had clearly favored Sasuke from the start. Sasuke knew he had disappointed the older man immensely and suddenly, he felt like he was twelve years old again, intent on proving why deserved the legendary shinobi's special attention.

Kakashi's gaze was focused solely on Sasuke as he entered the living room. They regarded each other for long moments, both quiet, as was their nature.

Sasuke found himself clearing his throat, inwardly cursing for feeling nervous. "Kakashi, I—" he abruptly shut his mouth. This was followed by a great frown, because although he wasn't a man of many words, he was never at a loss for them.

Sakura and Naruto, who had come to stand next to each other, had to hide their smiles. They both took an unholy pleasure in seeing Sasuke so clearly disconcerted. It was a rare moment. He looked like a chastised schoolboy, and neither Sakura nor Naruto wanted to ease his uneasiness just yet.

He deserved it, after all.

"Yada, yada," Kakashi said pleasantly. His exposed eye was twinkling, indicating that he too was savoring the moment. "You're still so serious. I had hoped that Sakura would have cured this."

"Give him hell, Kakashi!" Naruto cheered on and merely grinned when Sasuke shot him a scathing glare.

"He already looks like he's in hell, Naruto," Kakashi pointed out. "I doubt he's ever felt so anxious."

Sakura took pity on her lover. "Did you find the house easily, Kakashi-sensei?" she asked politely.

"Yes. Your sense of direction is impeccable as always, Sakura—unlike certain people. _You_ always know where you're headed."

The dig wasn't subtle and Sakura knew she had to intervene before the vein in Sasuke's forehead burst.

"That's enough for now," she declared firmly. "Let's have dinner first and then you can torture him all you want, Kakashi-sensei."

Sasuke scowled at her. Traitor.

She winked back at him.

"Wait."

They all paused in heading towards the dining room, turning to look at Kakashi questioningly. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a scroll, which he handed to Sasuke.

"Uchiha Sasuke," he said formally, "as a member of the Hokage's council and thus her representative, and in front of two Konoha shinobi, I hereby informed you that you are pardoned for your crimes against the Hidden Village of Konoha."

Sakura clapped her hands, forcing back an unlady-like squeal. Beside her, Naruto released a great sigh of relief.

Sasuke took the scroll, but he didn't open it. His gaze remained firmly locked on his former teacher. "What's the catch?" he demanded, not willing to believe there weren't any hidden agendas.

It was a predictable answer on his part and Kakashi couldn't blame him for his distrust. He shook his head. "No catch," he promised. His tone of voice was serious. "As of a week ago, you are no longer a missing-nin and the charges of desertion against you have been dropped. There will still be several issues that need to be ironed out, but you will be reinstated as a Konoha shinobi—should you ever decide to return to the village."

The room was quiet at this because all the occupants knew that this last part was impossible—at least for now.

"There's something else," Kakashi said. He smiled underneath his mask when Sasuke's shoulder tensed. "Relax." He again reached for something, this time from his pouch. Withdrawing an object wrapped in a plain brown cloth, he passed it to Sasuke.

As the Uchiha unwrapped the item, Kakashi continued to speak. "Tsunade-sama recognizes the fact that forgiveness will not be immediately apparent and that trust between us will take a long time to rebuild, but for now, consider this as an olive branch from the Hokage and her followers."

'_This'_ was something Sakura had only seen once in her life. It had been after she was first accepted into ANBU, and had been brought to a special storage room where she was given her mask, which would become her ANBU operator persona, as each mask differed from another by its patterns. ANBU masks were usually recycled and the greater the predecessor, the greater the honor one would feel to be allowed to wear it. There were only a handful number of masks that were never allowed to be worn again.

Sasuke was currently holding one of them.

The faded hawk design was distinctive. Sakura had been told during her time in that storage room to whom it belonged.

_Uchiha Itachi._

"He was a formidable shinobi," Kakashi said honestly. "Even at his age, he was respected by his peers and considered to be the best of the best. I swear—you'd never seen anything like him."

"And you never will," Sasuke stated quietly.

"Some may even say he was the best damned patriot Konoha has ever seen." Kakashi's eye briefly met Sakura's. "I'm inclined to agree—and so does the Hokage. When I left the village, they had just finished etching his name on the shinobi memorial."

Sasuke's head shot up, his black eyes widening at the implication. Kakashi's smile was full of understanding beneath his mask. "There is a rumor circling around that Itachi had been working undercover for the village all along—a rumor that will intensify with the emergence of Itachi's name on the plaque. Supposedly, he was declared guilty for the Uchiha Massacre because Konoha didn't want to tip off the actual perpetrator—who has already been executed."

"Danzo," Sakura said. It wasn't a question.

Kakashi nodded anyway. "Tsunade will release the statement in two weeks. The reason she had waited so long to do so is because there were still so many risks, especially for another certain, supposedly missing-nin, who had been asked to follow his brother's footsteps in ridding the village of its biggest threats."

Sasuke bristled.

"And now that there is solid evidence that all the targets have been eliminated, we can finally reveal the truth," Kakashi ended with sigh.

"Yes, there's the truth," Naruto sneered, fury stamped across his features. "All nicely wrapped in a pretty package of political bullshit."

"I'm sorry, Sasuke," Kakashi said sympathetically. "The world can never know the actual truth about the Massacre. Don't look at me like that, Naruto. Someday, when you are Hokage, you will understand. Sakura already does—don't you?"

She nodded, but her attention was completely on Sasuke. His hands were trembling slightly as he held Itachi's mask. Without thinking, she went to him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

Despite the presence of Kakashi and Naruto in the room, he leaned into her touch, accepting her unspoken support.

"It doesn't matter," Sasuke said at last, his voice hollow. "Madara, Danzo, the Third, the Elders . . . my brother—they're all dead now. There'll be no point in revealing the truth to the public. It'll only cause havoc—and the last thing any of us want right now is a goddamn war. At least with this, Itachi will be lauded as a hero instead of a fucking traitor."

"But it's not right, Sasuke!" Naruto protested.

"It's the closest thing, dobe," Sasuke shot back severely. "This is the life we've signed up for, Naruto. Nothing is ever completely right, nor is it absolutely wrong. The lines will always be blurred and if you can't see that, you'll never be a fucking Hokage!"

"Sasuke," Sakura whispered warningly, stepping closer to him.

He released his breath slowly and gave Naruto a look that was the closest thing to an apology. "It doesn't matter," he repeated resolutely. "This is the best solution for all parties involved. Konoha can say whatever the hell it wants—I just want to be left alone."

"I'll make sure the Hokage gets that message," Kakashi swore.

Sasuke nodded.

Sakura brushed his arm. "Why don't you go and keep the mask in a safe place?" she suggested gently. "I'll go show Kakashi where to put his things and wash up for dinner?"

He nodded and headed towards his—_their_—bedroom.

"Do I look like I need to wash up, Sakura?" Kakashi teased in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"Filthy, Kakashi-sensei. You were always a dirty old man," Sakura retorted with a smile. "Naruto, go finish setting up the table."

"Fine," the blond huffed. "But I still don't like this."

"You don't have to, Naruto. It's not your choice to like," Kakashi told him wisely. "For once, it's not all about _you_."

The younger male squawked, but Sakura quickly diffused the situation, ushering their former instructor to the room she'd prepared for him.

* * *

Dinner saw, for the first time in many, many years, the infamous former Team Seven gathered for a meal as a complete unit. Despite the bad things that had happened to them, it was like they were never separated. Naruto and Sasuke bickered over the silliest things and Sakura attempted to play mediator. Kakashi threw veiled insults over his latest issue of _Icha Icha_ and expertly dodged whenever utensils flew his way.

There were still several issues that needed to be addressed; Sasuke and Naruto still had a score to settle with each other and Kakashi still wanted to have a few words with the former missing nin. Wounds weren't completely healed, and it would probably take a long time before they completely were. But for tonight, they were going to enjoy that once again, they were together. That from now onwards, there would be no more sadness or sorrow—only hope for a better tomorrow. They were strongest when they were like this.

They were family.

* * *

Sakura forced Naruto to help her wash the dirty dishes, knowing that Kakashi needed a moment alone with their black-haired counterpart. It didn't stop either of them from trying to eavesdrop, though; both Sakura and Naruto craned their necks in an attempt to hear the conversation. However, after being nearly blinded by a couple of shurikens, they got the message and continued to focus on the dishes.

Sasuke and Kakashi sat on the back porch, a pot of tea between them, as they spoke in hushed voices. Sakura watched them from the corner of her eye, noting how her lover's shoulder would tense at times. But overall, there were no raised tones and she knew that whatever they were saying would go a long way into healing the breach between Kakashi and the student he had once favored above all others.

Finally, Kakashi slapped Sasuke on the back and climbed to his feet. He nodded at Sakura and Naruto on his way to his room, murmuring that he was retiring for the night.

Naruto looked at Sakura, affection bright in blue eyes. He dried his hands, kissed her on the cheek and told her goodnight before calling out a stern warning to Sasuke to not keep Sakura-chan awake all night because "I'm gonna deliver your ass to you bright and early tomorrow morning!" It was a measure of his maturity; he knew that his two best friends needed some time alone and despite his own wishes, he granted them their privacy.

Sakura switched off the kitchen lights and made her way outside, grabbing a blanket along the way. After confirming that both of their guests were in the room—she wouldn't put it above to them to eavesdrop, either—she wrapped the throw over Sasuke and herself and rested her head on his shoulder to enjoy the night.

"I want it to always be like this," she declared wistfully.

He glanced at her. "I can't promise you that." _But I will try_ was left unspoken.

Sakura gave him a quick peck on the cheek and smiled. "I know. But I'll love you anyway." It felt good, to be able to declare her love for him without the fear of rejection.

Underneath the blanket, she covered his strong hand, tangling their fingers together. "Tell me what Kakashi said to you," she cajoled.

A corner of his mouth lifted. "He apologized . . . for not being able to be there for me—the way you and Naruto were. He said he knows how it feels to be haunted by one's past and is glad that I wouldn't have to live with it forever. That now I have better things to look forward to. He also forgives me for being, in his words, 'an irritating, disrespectful pain in the ass.'"

Sakura giggled. It sounded like Kakashi, all right. "And what did _you_ say?"

"I told him—I told him that in the end that it was a Chidori that killed my enemy. Not anything that I learned from anyone else, but the power that _he_ taught me how to wield."

Sakura squeezed his hand. "He must have been proud to hear that," she murmured and smiled when Sasuke merely shrugged.

"'Underneath the underneath,'" she quoted. At Sasuke's questioning look, she elaborated, "That's what Kakashi-sensei said when I told them the truth about everything."

"I see."

She turned her head to look up at him, studying the sharp features. "Are you really okay, with what Konoha will say about the Massacre—and Itachi?" she asked, slightly apprehensive.

He was quiet for a long time. Finally, he sighed and said, "It's strange, but I think I am. The cover-up is for the best. Like I said, there's no point in rehashing the past." His dark eyes grew momentarily distant. "I wanted vengeance for a long time, but I see now that it isn't the way. To hold onto my anger—it's not the life my brother wished for me and it isn't the life _I_ want."

"I'm glad. He would have been proud of you—your brother." She was sure of this; Itachi's journal had not only spoken of the Massacre but of his life in Konoha. It had been obvious that Sasuke had been adored by his older brother.

"Yes," Sasuke agreed. He lifted a hand to brush back several pink strands from her face. "The world will never know the truth, but at least those that matter do."

"I love you very, very much, Sasuke."

"Yes, I know." Sakura punched him in the stomach for sounding so smug.

"Sakura?"

"Yes, plum pudding?"

He almost rolled his eyes. "Are you . . .?" he paused. "Are you happy—here?"

She thought about it for a moment. There would be many times, she knew, when she would miss Konoha and the life she had there. She would want for her friends and her parents and duties that kept her busy. But here . . . here, she would have Sasuke and the life they would build together, free of treachery and things that could hurt them like greatly. Kami willing, they would have a lifetime of loving each other.

In the grand scheme of things, it wasn't such a bad trade-off.

"Extremely," she answered him at last. She quirked a perfectly shaped eyebrow. "Are _you_ happy?"

He didn't hesitate.

"Yes."

* * *

It was an epic showdown.

If they were to tell you, both Naruto and Sasuke would admit that their latest battle was an even bigger one that they had more than ten years ago, but unlike that fateful afternoon, there was no malicious intent behind their strikes. It was a fight purely to gauge each other's abilities; they showed off the skills they had accumulated over the years, which were immense. They proved to one another—and to their loved ones who were watching—why they truly deserved to be considered two of the strongest shinobi of their time.

As Sakura watched the blurred figures of her boys one-up each other, she felt awed and privileged to able to witness this.

Standing behind her, his precious novel safely kept in his pocket and his hitai-ate pushed up to reveal his Sharingan, Kakashi echoed her thoughts. "If Sasuke ever decides to return to Konoha, our enemies will have zero chance," he murmured.

To her credit, Sakura didn't remain a spectator during the entire match. Halfway through, just as Sasuke had thrown off the multiple Narutos that attempted to hold him down, she jumped into the fray, unable to help herself. She stunned everyone as she threw Naruto and then Sasuke clear across the field with the right hook she was so famous for.

"You _both_ left me, assholes," she pointed out moments before she punched the ground, no longer withholding the true power of her chakra.

For Sasuke, who had never witnessed this, he stared at her, shocked, and nearly fell into the crater she made. Thank God they had decided to find another location instead of using the training area on his land.

Eventually, though, Sakura recognized the fact that this was a battle her boys needed to have between themselves and gracefully stepped out, shooting Kakashi a smug smile—which he returned—as both Sasuke and Naruto continued to fight each other with a considerable limp.

That said, when the match finally ended with a reluctant draw and both boys were at the point of burning out from chakra exhaustion, Sakura took great pleasure in hurting them a bit further while she healed them. She decided to leave several scars as a reminder for "being such moronic children."

As she repaired Naruto's fractured arm, he grudgingly gave a compliment to his rival/best friend. "You were right, Sakura—the bastard _is_ really fast. How _did_ you keep up with him?"

At that, Sasuke shot her look and she discreetly shook her head. _Of course_ she hadn't given Naruto the full details of _their_ match. She wouldn't embarrass him—and herself—by telling anyone that they had battled each other naked.

But she _would_ use it as something to hold over his head for the times when he would act like a jackass. A good kunoichi always used dirty tricks when necessary.

"I have my ways, Naruto, I have my ways," she said mysteriously.

"We'll have to do a bell test really soon," Kakashi declared as he watched his former students nurse their wounds.

"What? But Sakura-chan and I already passed, Kakashi!" Naruto protested.

"You have?" Sasuke asked, surprised.

"After Naruto came back from his first training with Jiraiya," she told him almost apologetically.

"You missed a lot while you were hiding in caves, Sasu-cakes," Naruto said smugly. He had found out about Sakura's experiment with nicknames and thought it hilarious, quickly joining in with his own versions of names to call Sasuke.

"We'll just do another one," Kakashi decided. He shot Sakura and Naruto a chiding look. "You guys shouldn't be the only ones who get to kick Sasuke around—I deserve a shot, too."

"That you do, Kakashi-sensei," Sakura agreed whole-heartedly above Naruto's peal of laughter.

Aside from a few scowls, Sasuke took it all in stride. It was something he was beginning to become used to—being teased by his precious people.

Naruto studied the trees behind them. "Those are really tall," he commented. "I wonder how long it'll take me to climb them."

And just like that, both Sasuke and Naruto were off like a shot, eager to test who could climb the tallest tree the fastest.

"Boys," Sakura said in disgust, watching them scramble up like a couple of monkeys between offensive shouts of insults.

"Aren't you going to join them?" Kakashi asked curiously.

"Nah. We both know I'll win, don't we?"

The older jounin merely chuckled, though he didn't deny the fact. It _was_ Sakura who first mastered climbing trees by using just her feet. He pulled out his notorious orange-colored book and swiftly moved away when Sakura tried to make a grab for it.

"I told you that wasn't nice, didn't I, Sakura?" he admonished lightly, holding onto the novel like a precious baby.

She shrugged, smiling. "It's a beautiful afternoon." And it was; slightly chilled but wonderful, overall. "There's a stream in the west side of Sasuke's property. Wanna keep your former female student company while your former idiotic male students prove who can pee the farthest?"

Kakashi laughed uproariously at her blunt words. "You were always my favorite female student, Sakura."

"I was your _only_ female student—unless you count Naruko-chan, which is the freakiest thing ever!"

Minutes later, they were seated on the dock by the stream, their hands firmly holding onto fishing rods. Kakashi sat with his legs folded, his back propped by a bag, while Sakura chose to dangle her legs over the edge of the dock.

"I didn't know you knew how to fish," Kakashi remarked as Sakura deftly prepared the tackle.

"Sasuke showed me how when I was last here," she told him. It had been during one of the times when they both acknowledged that they needed to leave the house. She didn't bother to mention to Kakashi that fishing hadn't been the _only_ thing Sasuke taught her how to do on this dock. That had been an interesting afternoon, to say for sure.

"It really is a nice place," Kakashi said as they waited for the fish to catch their baits. "I can see the attraction. All this space—big enough to raise children."

"I'm not . . . we're not . . . we haven't decided on that!" Sakura sputtered, blushing to the tips of her hair.

Kakashi chuckled at her obvious embarrassment. "Sasuke _did_ say he had another goal," he teased. "An _entire_ clan."

"We're not talking about this!" Sakura said hotly.

Smiling, Kakashi took pity on her and dropped the subject.

"After all of Naruto's boasts," he began quietly, "it was you who brought Sasuke back."

"But he's not back, is he?"

"You know what I mean." Kakashi shifted the fishing rod a bit. "I never thought I'd ever see him so . . . at ease."

"Yes," Sakura agreed, smiling beautifully. "It's amazing, isn't it? There are times when I feel I hardly recognize him. Maybe this was who he was meant to be all along."

"And what about you? Will you be content, having to sacrifice your life in Konoha for a life here?"

"Ah, see that's where you're wrong," Sakura chided lightly. "I haven't sacrificed anything. I've simply chosen a new life. And it's not like I'll be solely focused on Sasuke. The town nearby could use a new doctor and Konoha can always count on me whenever it needs to. My world has just expanded, can't you see?"

"You really love him, don't you?"

"Very much."

"And he really loves you."

"Of course he does!" Sakura exclaimed confidently. "He'd be stupid to not love me—I'm a damned good catch!"

Kakashi laughed as he agreed with her.

"You know," he said, "there are many kinds of strengths. I've never told you this and it may seem several years too late, but you were always the strongest among us. What you did for Sasuke, what you've done for all of us—it's nothing short of amazing. You're an incredible shinobi, Sakura."

She smiled at him through her unshed tears. It meant a lot to her, to hear him say that. Until now, she didn't realize how much she'd hungered for such an acknowledgement from him.

"I had the best teacher—and I don't mean Tsunade-sama," she told him softly. "You told us that first day on the training field: friends don't leave friends behind. Those words have always played a part in everything I've done.

"Sasuke had it right—there's no point of rehashing the past. Let's look towards a better future, Kakashi-sensei."

Kakashi nodded, smiling underneath his mask.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto wailed from a distant. "Sasuke tried to burn me to a crisp! Where are you guys?"

* * *

A day before Naruto and Kakashi were scheduled to leave, two new guests arrived. Sakura saw them from a distant and when she recognized the familiar figures, she let out a cry of delight.

Sasuke scowled. "I'm not running a damned inn over here," he complained.

She looked at him with big doe eyes. "You still think this as _only_ _your_ house, don't you? Can't _I_ have guests too?" Her bottom lip trembled.

"Motherfucker," he mumbled, wiping a tired hand over his face. "Fine. You can invite the whole Fire Country if you want to."

She clapped her hands, kissed him on the cheek, and went off to greet the new visitors.

Behind the pair, Naruto and Kakashi snickered and the blond pretended to crack a whip.

Sakura threw her arms around the other members that made up the rest of Team Kakashi, incredibly happy to see them. They returned the embrace, though they seemed understandably uncomfortable to be here.

"You look well, Ugly," Sai noted in his usual way. "But . . . have you gained some weight?"

Sakura smiled cheerfully, told him that he looked well as well, and then drew back her fist. His "oof" echoed throughout the yard as she punched him in the stomach for the insult.

Sasuke, who along with Naruto and Kakashi, had come to join them, stiffened at Sai's nickname for Sakura and smirked as he hunched over in pain.

"You didn't have to come all the way over here to accompany us back to Konoha," Kakashi said, though he, too, was pleased by the new company.

Yamato grinned knowingly. "You and Naruto-kun were supposed to be home on Monday. You're almost a week late. Tsunade-sama wanted us to make sure you didn't decide to go native as well, Kakashi-sempai."

Ever the perfect hostess, Sakura gestured to Sasuke. "You know Sai and Yamato-sempai, don't you? Guys, this is Sasuke." The introduction was redundant, of course, but she wasn't raised to be rude.

Sasuke politely nodded at Yamato, but his gaze was leveled on Sai, who returned his indifferent look.

"Hello again, Sasuke-kun," Sai greeted, remembering the shinobi he'd been sent to kill many years ago. "Or should I call you 'Traitor'?"

Sakura slapped her forehead. "Oh, Sai," she mumbled. He'd improved his social skills over the years, but he was still considerably worrisome for polite society.

"He doesn't know any better," Naruto told Sasuke sagely. "He was raised to be a fucking robot."

Sasuke's black eyes were narrowed and never one to not give as good as he got, he remarked caustically, "You're my replacement."

"Oi, bastard, that's kinda mean! I told you—robot!"

"That's enough, you two!" Sakura exclaimed, irritated. "Sai, you shouldn't be so rude to Sasuke, especially since you're a guest here. He's _not_ a traitor and he's not used to you like the rest of us are. And Sasuke, Sai is _not_ a replacement. He's our _dear_ friend and a permanent part of Team Kakashi. Now, I'm going to go in and prepare some tea. You boys are going to march into the house and sit in the living room and so help me, if you don't behave, I'll bloody each of you good, you hear me?"

There were several mumblings from each of the men, even the ones who weren't involved in the little spat. Satisfied, Sakura whipped on her heels and stalked towards the house, muttering about children and permanent disabilities.

The men—fully grown and five of the most powerful shinobi around—obediently followed her.

"This is what they mean as 'wearing the pants,' right?"

"Shut up, Sai," Naruto sighed wearily. "Just—shut up."

* * *

Sakura refused to cook dinner—"I may be a girl but if any of you chauvinistic pigs _expect_ me to do _everything_, I'm gonna turn you into one as well"—so they agreed to go to the nearby town. After a short disagreement, in which Sakura again threatened dismemberment, they decided—or more correctly obeyed the feminine powerhouse—on the same restaurant she and Sasuke had patronized previously. They were given a private room at the back of the restaurant, much to everyone's, including the restaurant staff's relief, because for shinobi, they were a disturbingly loud bunch.

As Sasuke watched Sakura and Naruto laugh at something Sai said, he felt a twinge of envy. Thankfully, it wasn't the rage of jealousy that would have been present ten years ago or even a year ago. He didn't begrudge Sai for the obvious affection his former teammates clearly felt for him, nor did he question his own position in their lives. It wasn't difficult to be affected by Sakura and Naruto. Sasuke could see it now.

Their hearts were big enough for everyone.

He tried to remain an impassive spectator, but both Sakura and Naruto repeatedly dragged him into their conversations, so much so that by the time dessert arrived, Sasuke found himself actually enjoying the meal and the company. He even managed to crack a smile when Sai called Naruto "dickless."

After dinner, Sai wanted to visit the store that sold the art supplies Sakura had bought for him during the time she first stayed with Sasuke.

The Uchiha watched as, with the former ANBU Root between them, Sakura and Naruto all but skipped towards the shop, chatting and laughing loud enough to attract the attention of the townspeople that were still lingering outside.

Kakashi kept pace behind him while Yamato paused to looked at a display of pottery (of all things). His former teacher gave him a sidelong glance.

"You don't feel left out, do you?" he drawled in that way of his.

"Of course I don't," Sasuke replied.

Kakashi smiled. "I think you really mean that," he observed. He slapped Sasuke on the back. "You've come a long way. I'm glad I was I able to see it."

"I wouldn't have done it without . . ." Sasuke trailed off, and shuffled his feet, discomfited by what he'd almost admitted out loud.

The expression in Kakashi's eye told him he knew what Sasuke meant. Of the four of them—now six, Sasuke realized—they were the most similar in behavior. While Sakura and Naruto were loud and expressive, Sasuke and Kakashi were quiet and rather disconnected from the rest of the world.

"Don't worry," Kakashi whispered conspiratorially. "I won't tell."

Before Sasuke could say anything, there was suddenly a whirl of pink and he blinked as Sakura stood in front of him, green eyes shining as brightly as her grin. Without saying a word, she wrapped her hand around his and pulled him forward.

Yes, Sasuke thought as he allowed himself to be dragged away, her slim fingers intertwined with his larger ones. There would be many moments when his demons would get the better of him, but for the first time in a long while, he no longer had to worry.

No matter what, his precious people would always be there draw him into the light.

* * *

It was a tearful parting, at least on Sakura's part—and a little bit on Naruto's, as well. Her eyes were bright with unshed tears as she hugged Team Kakashi as if it were the last time they would see each other.

"Now, now, Sakura," Kakashi comforted her as she clung to him. He patted her back soothingly. "We'll come over as much as we can. Now that we know Sasuke is here, we'll know where to go when we want to bother him."

To Sasuke, this sounded like a threat and he dimly wondered if it would be too stupid to move.

Naruto came to stand in front of him, and ignoring the hand he held out, gave him a brief hug. Sasuke slowly placed his arm around his best friend and patted his back. The blond then drew back and shoved his fist into Sasuke's shoulder—which he also returned.

"Take care of her," Naruto said seriously and both of them glanced over at Sakura, who was ordering Sai to hug her back if he valued his life.

Sasuke nodded and recalled the conversation they had a few days ago during one of their trainings-turned-competition.

"_I never really did have a chance, did I?" Naruto murmured as the two of them sat under a tree and allowed the crisp autumn air to dry their sweat._

_Sasuke didn't bother to ask what the blond meant. He tugged off his shirt and used it to wipe his damp face. "I won't apologize," he declared bluntly. He wouldn't. He was sorry that Naruto still had strong feelings for Sakura, but he wasn't sorry that Sakura was with him now. He wouldn't admit it to anyone, least of all Sakura (who seemed to have taken a sadistic-like delight in having some sort of power of him), but he probably needed Sakura more than Naruto did._

_Naruto nodded, accepting the fact. "I don't expect you to. You'd be stupid if you didn't hold on to a woman like Sakura. Do you know how lucky you are, bastard? Someone like her . . . . Don't ever take her for granted again, Sasuke. Because if you do . . . if Sakura ever comes back, you'll never see her again. This I swear."_

"_I won't let her go," Sasuke promised. He gazed at his friend with serious eyes. "Thank you . . . for all the years that you were there for her when I wasn't."_

_Naruto laughed. "I'm still here for her—it's just that now you're with her, too."_

Sasuke gave his friend's shoulder another punch. "You're welcome here anytime," he said gruffly.

Naruto snickered. "That must have been painful to say, bastard. Did Sakura-chan force you?"

"Fuck you. She doesn't force me to do anything."

"Shyeah," the blonde snorted, still laughing. Sasuke couldn't help smiling himself.

And what seemed like a second later, the remaining Team Kakashi were off, with Naruto lingering as much as he could, grinning at the two people he loved most as he hollered his goodbyes.

Sasuke watched from the corner of his eye as Sakura furiously waved after them, tears in her eyes. She turned to Sasuke and smiled gently at the expression on his handsome face.

"I'm not changing my mind," she said knowingly. "Besides, you'll only come after me, right?"

"Right," he surprised both of them by answering.

"We'll see them again. And even though I'm officially off active duty, I'm still a loyal citizen of Konoha. Just like Jiraiya and Tsunade-sama before she was Hokage, I'll serve the country when I'm called."

He nodded. He already knew this. Though he didn't share the same opinion, he wouldn't stop her. His feelings regarding his former village were still dubious, to say the least, but he understood hers. Being a part of Konoha was important to her. Their paths might be the same now, but their choices were different, and he respected her for it.

He was pulled away from his silent musing when she suddenly threw an arm around his back. She looked up at him and smiled. "It's wonderful, isn't it, Sasuke? We've come full circle, you and I. This is a brand new beginning for us."

He had to smile at her silliness. "You're being very corny."

She laughed, too content with being cloud nine to take offense. "No." She shook her head, grinning like a loon. "I'm just very happy. Happy, happy, happy!" she sang. She wrapped her other arm around and pulled him closer. "And you—aren't you happy?"

He looked down at her beautiful face and felt his heart constrict with the emotions whirling within him. He cupped her cheeks, the expression in his dark eyes uncommonly soft.

"I'm delirious," he answered, and then lowered his head to kiss her.

**To be continued.**

Just one more chapter to go . . . the epilogue.


	12. Beautiful Days

This is it. I didn't plan on writing an epilogue, to tell you the truth. But I have a thing against uneven numbers and I felt that I needed to put a bit _more _before properly saying goodbye to _A Full Circle_—for now.

Plus, I wouldn't be me and it wouldn't be _A Full Circle_ if I didn't put in a final lemon scene. Fair warning.

Read, enjoy and review.

* * *

**Epilogue: Beautiful Days**

Sasuke clenched his teeth and fought for control. He wouldn't give in, no matter what. He was an Uchiha. The blood of warriors ran through his veins. He was a legendary shinobi in his own right. He was strong. One of the best among the best.

He'd be damned if he allowed a _pink_-haired kunoichi defeat him.

His fingers twisted around said pink hair and a vicious grunt escaped his throat. Through bleary eyes, he watched as Sakura's perfect, luscious lips lowered around his steel-hard cock, taking more of him inside her warm, wet mouth.

_Motherfucker_.

He must have cursed out loud because she suddenly drew back, releasing his shaft with a soft 'pop.'

He nearly howled.

"Give up yet?" she asked huskily, her breath hot on the head of his erection.

" . . . No," he managed to croak, but even to his ears, he didn't sound all that convincing.

She, in turn, narrowed her eyes challengingly, and then lowered her again. She didn't hesitate as she took him back into her mouth, her lips moving in a swift, downward stroke.

_Fucking hell._

Sasuke gripped her hair more tightly as his hips involuntarily thrust upwards to meet her oral attention. He was dimly aware that the pants and groans echoing throughout the bedroom were his, but he didn't care. Her name was a muttered litany on his lips as she took him deeper than she'd ever done before.

She sucked him hard, using her tongue to play with the sensitive skin of his erection. His control was severely tested again as she began to hum, using the vibrations to add to the pleasure he was already feeling.

The _bitch_. She _knew_ he liked when she did that.

His eyes nearly crossed when he felt the swollen head of his cock hit the back of her throat. And then—Kami help him—she started to _swallow_.

"Fuck!" he growled, throwing his head back.

She pulled away.

"_Sakura!"_ This time, he couldn't hold back his roar. His eyes were red as he tried to pull her back, but she resisted.

"Not until you say 'yes,' Sasuke!" she declared.

"Fine!" he all but shouted. "Fucking hell, yes, okay! I give in!"

She grinned triumphantly and he lost it. Releasing his hold on her hair, he grabbed her shoulders and tugged her naked body up. Without ceremony, he pressed the head of his erection to the opening of her femininity and slid in with a fast and hard thrust all the way to the hilt.

Later, he wouldn't be able to recall much of what happened after that. All he would remember was the tight hotness of her pussy as he firmly held her hips and lunged upwards again and again. His heavy snarls filled the room as he reached for the release she had so sadistically denied him for the past hour.

To add insult to his already bruised ego, he came first. He let out an inhuman growl as he expanded, then exploded inside of her, spurting his ejaculation into her womb. He was still in the throes of passion as he watched her ride him to her own climax, her scream possibly louder than his as she finally achieved an orgasm.

She was still slumped over him when she lifted her head, a big smile on her face.

"I knew you'd give in," she said smugly. She rolled away from him and let out a lusty sigh as she patted him consolingly on the chest. "Well, come on, then—we have to leave soon if we want to make good time."

_Fucking hell._

_

* * *

_

There was a slightly bitter taste in his mouth as Sasuke gazed at the tall, imposing gates in front of him. The fury within him was considerably less than it had been in the past, but he knew there would always be some lingering anger, especially at the sight those gates.

In the past two years, he'd only returned to Konoha once, and that was when he received word from Naruto that Sakura had nearly depleted her chakra during an assignment she was specially asked to do. Knowing what Sasuke felt and thought about the village, Naruto wouldn't have done so had it not been serious. Hence, Sasuke hadn't hesitated as he swiftly made his way to Konoha. Back then, his concern for her had overruled his feelings for the village that he had once sworn his allegiance to.

The gates parted.

He shot Sakura an inscrutable look as they walked into the village and the gates closed behind them, effectively sealing them within the walls of Konoha—for now.

But neither Sasuke nor Sakura had time to dwell on his feelings. Before they managed to take even another step, a brightly-clad figure was barreling towards them at an alarming speed.

"About damn time!" Naruto exclaimed loudly. He threw his arms around his beloved Sakura-chan. "We were beginning to think you guys weren't going to come!"

Sakura giggled as the blond lifted her off her feet and twirled her around. "Of course we were going to come! As if we would miss such a big day!"

Naruto finally set her back down and shot Sasuke a knowing grin. "What did she have to do to you to make you agree, teme?" he teased.

"Naruto!" Sakura slapped his shoulder. "That's highly inappropriate!"

"Not as inappropriate as you giving the bastard a—augh!"

Sakura pinched his cheek harder. "Finish that sentence, Uzumaki Naruto, and you'll be going to the ceremony on crutches!" she warned.

Despite himself, Sasuke smirked as Naruto's loud pleas for mercy rang through the area. The blond was practically on his knees as he promised to never even _think_ of saying such things again.

However, Sasuke's smile soon faded when he realized they were attracting a lot of attention. Much like the last he came to Konoha, the people were openly staring at him, speaking in hushed tones and unable to believe that Uchiha Sasuke, who was once one of the most promising shinobi of Konoha before he shockingly became a missing-nin, was standing among them in the very same village he'd so seemingly easily turned his back against. It didn't matter to them that he had been declared innocent and that the missing-nin story had been a ruse; negativities were much better fodder for gossip.

_Fuck it_, he thought angrily as he studiously ignored the gawks. He wasn't there for _them_.

Sakura had finally released Naruto and the blond rubbed his throbbing cheek as he returned his attention to Sasuke. "Sometimes," he said lowly so that their female counterpart wouldn't hear, "I really _don't_ envy you."

Sasuke snorted.

Sakura was looking around the village, taking note of the bright banners that decorated the buildings. "They're really going all out for this, huh?" she observed out loud.

"Yeah—they've been preparing for months. Can't blame them," Naruto said. "The last ceremony wasn't exactly carried out on a happier mood."

"Everything's set, then?" Sakura asked.

Naruto nodded. "There was a final rehearsal this morning. Guess who was late?" The blond rolled his eyes. "We had to restrain Tsunade-baa-chan from killing him."

Sakura smiled. "And how is Tsunade-sama?"

"She's been cooped up in her office since the rehearsal ended. I peeked; she was writing the final draft of her speech." This time, it was the blond who snorted. "The old bat's been too drunk all week to take care of it."

"Don't be rude, Naruto," Sakura scolded him. "I'm sure she was just nervous. This _is_ a big event. She probably needed some liquid courage."

"She nearly puked on Shizune's shoes this morning."

Wincing, Sakura shook her head; some things never changed.

She took another glance at her surroundings. Like Naruto said, the mood of the village was a much happier one. The villagers were whistling as they went about their activities. The sky was a beautiful blue and the air was cool despite the shining sun.

"What are you thinking, Sakura?" Sasuke asked, curious by the expression on her lovely face.

She clapped her hands and gave her boys an affectionate smile. "Well!" she exclaimed, green eyes bright with excitement. "It's a beautiful day to be named Hokage."

* * *

It was nearly sunset when the ceremony took place.

For once in his life, Hatake Kakashi wasn't late.

Thank Kami for small mercies.

From her place at the end of the balcony, a position reserved for the Hokage's honored guests, Sakura stood between her boys and the rest of Team Kakashi. _Or is Team Hokage now?_ she wondered, amused.

Tears filled her eyes as Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage, handed the Hokage scroll and all of the duties of a leader entailed within, to the newly named Rokudaime. Kakashi accepted it with all the dignity that made up the man Sakura loved dearly, the expression in his eyes absolutely serious. For once, his face wasn't covered by the mask that had been his trademark for so long. There had been many excited shrieks when his face was revealed; his admirers should soak up this moment, Sakura thought with a fond smile. He would return to wearing the mask soon enough.

Her boys had also stared at Kakashi long and hard earlier, taking in the face they had wondered about since their Genin days. There were no fish-like lips or huge buckteeth; younger-looking than his actual age, Kakashi was an incredibly handsome man, his features striking enough to rival even Sasuke's or Hyuuga Neji's.

Naruto had been severely disappointed; he had imagined something ghastly and gory that, in his opinion, befitted the image of such an intimidating man. He hadn't expected a pretty face. He had glanced at Sakura and had been shocked by her lack of surprise.

"_You've seen it before, haven't you?" he accused, somewhat outraged._

_She rolled her eyes. "I __**was**__ his personal medic. I've seen him naked, too," she answered blithely._

_Sasuke didn't like hearing that and he gave her a pointed glare, which she returned, lifting her eyebrows challengingly._

"_Please," she scoffed. "I've seen __**all**__ of you naked. Did you think I performed surgery with my eyes closed?"_

_Sasuke __**really**__ didn't like hearing that. Naruto's response was a torrent of questions as to who had the bigger package._

_She punched both of them._

Sakura returned her attention to the ceremony; Tsunade had stepped down from the podium and Kakashi, in full Hokage regalia, was taking center stage alone. The roar of applause from the crowd below was incredible, the noise fairly shaking the rafters.

No one cheered louder than the new Hokage's three former students. Naruto hooted and hollered while Sakura practically jumped up and down, immensely happy for Kakashi. Even Sasuke wasn't immune to the entire thing: he blew up a couple of fireballs, the fiery tiny bubbles attracting weary glances from the ANBU officers that now guarded Kakashi.

Still clapping, Sakura shot her blond friend a questioning look. "Okay, Naruto?" she asked gently. She wasn't entirely sure of his feelings concerning Kakashi's appointment. Kakashi, who had served his country amazingly well for so long, deserved this, but Naruto had coveted the position since he was a child.

Naruto grinned widely. "Yeah. Kakashi deserves this," he echoed her thoughts. "He's going to make a great Hokage. When Tsunade-baa told me that she's naming Kakashi as her successor, I realized that I still have a long way to go. It's only fitting that he sits in office before I do. When I _do_ finally inherit the title, I know I'll be getting it from good hands."

"You sound very wise, dobe," Sasuke mocked.

"Hush!" Sakura poked him in the ribs. She smiled at Naruto. "You're going to make a great Hokage, too, Naruto," she declared loyally.

"Thanks, Sakura-chan!" Naruto threw his arm around and drew her into a half-hug. Over her head, he stuck his tongue out at Sasuke.

The Uchiha deftly flipped him off.

Being a man of few words, Kakashi's inauguration speech was unsurprisingly short—and very sweet. He reiterated his vows to serve his village with honor and integrity, thanked his fellow shinobi (those who were still here and those who were long gone), and spoke a few words of his late father, which drew tears from many of the women present.

His last words nearly caused Sakura to bawl.

"Courage isn't about being fearless—it's about facing great obstacles even with the fear, even with the thought of failure. It's about risking everything for the ones you hold dear and sacrificing yourself for justice." He glanced upwards, and then looked over his shoulder to the former Team Seven. "For those who taught me that, I honor you."

And then the great fire signaling the presence of a new leader was lit, and a new era was born.

* * *

The celebration that followed afterwards was a massive one; the streets were filled with music, bright lights and jovial crowds well into the night.

Seated on the roof of the apartment she still kept for the times she would be in the village, Sakura half-listened to the cheerful crowd and watched the fireworks that lit the beautiful night sky. She snuggled closer to Sasuke, enjoying the time alone they managed to steal.

Sasuke's arm was firmly wrapped around her waist, his big hand warm and comforting on her belly. He was slightly tipsy from the alcohol he'd consumed at the new Hokage's behest. Naruto had also taken great delight in tipping a small bottle of sake into the reluctant Uchiha's throat as Kakashi all but made it a law to get Sasuke drunk tonight. Sakura had taken pity on him and shuffled him away before things got out of hand, much to the protests of their former teammates.

Some things _would_ never change, she thought fondly. Unlike her counterpart, she was stone-cold sober.

In the distance, she could see the ramshackled roof that had once crowned the magnificent Uchiha manor, which sat in the abandoned Uchiha district. Over the years, Sasuke hadn't once taken the initiative to have his inheritance restored to its former glory and she hadn't pushed him to do so.

She glanced at Sasuke. He was also gazing the Uchiha manor, his dark eyes filled with past memories.

Perhaps it was the night and the event of the day and the fact that they were in Konoha under their own will, but Sakura finally found the courage to ask the question she had wanted to ask him quite some time now.

"Do you ever want to go back?" Her tone was gentle.

He was silent for a while. Then he shook his head and drew her closer. "No," he answered just as quietly. "If I have entertained the idea in the past, it was because of _you_. This was your life."

"Shut up," she chided softly. "Two years ago, I had a choice to make—and I did. Since then, I've never regretted _anything_. _This_—the life I have now—is what I want. I have the best of both worlds."

The corners of his lips lifted slightly. There were days when she repeatedly told him this, as if she had to say again and again it to reassure him. He didn't bother telling her to stop; she needed to say it and he probably needed to hear it. But he no longer doubted her.

He believed her, after all.

He caressed her stomach, which was still very much flat. Summoning a small amount of chakra, he shot it into her and felt the responding chakra that wasn't hers. He had to smirk, marveling at the strength.

"Are you tired?" he asked, concern filling his voice. "It wasn't too much for you?"

She shook her head, smiling reassuringly. "Nope. We're good to go."

"Good." He paused and studied her face for a moment. "Sakura, if . . . they don't _have_ to take my name. Considering the past—it's not something they'll wear with pride."

At that, Sakura scowled. For the first time in two years, she was honestly angry with him. "You _stupid_ man!" she snapped, surprising him with the bite in her tone. "How _dare_ you belittle yourself—and me—like that? They'll wear the Uchiha name not because it belongs to your damned family—but because they also belong to you! And they damn well _will_ wear it with pride because of their incredible father, who is one of the strongest and most honorable men I've ever known. If you _ever_ say such things again, I'll—"

"Okay, okay," he soothed her quickly, placing his hands over her closed fists. "Calm down."

"I mean it, Sasuke. Of all the stupidest things to think—"

"I'm sorry." He pulled her to him and kissed her forehead.

Her tensed shoulders eased and she allowed him to kiss her again, this time on the lips. Seriously, it was hard to be mad at him when he was being so affectionate.

After several moments of kissing, in which Sakura was properly mollified, Sasuke pulled away and looked deep into her beautiful green eyes. He pushed back strands of pink hair from her face, his eyes somber. "Sakura," he began. "If my children are going to wear my name, it's only fitting that their mother should, as well."

She blinked. How in the world did he manage to that? He'd gone from making her mad enough to kill to nearly bowling her over with his words.

"I—uh." She blinked again. Then she began to frown. "Did you just _propose_ to me?"

He fought back his grin. "Didn't I do it well? Here then." He released her to stand on his feet, one hand digging into the pocket of his pants. He withdrew a small box from his pocket and tossed it at her. She was so shocked, she barely managed to catch it. Her fingers stumbled and she almost dropped it before firmly cupping it in her hands.

She opened the velvet case. Not surprisingly, it was a ring. A beautiful, wonderful, diamond ring that had what seemed like a flame in the heart of it.

"I took out of the deposit box the last time I was here," Sasuke told her when she continued to simply gape at the ring. "It's a family heirloom. Since you seem to have no aversions to the Uchiha name and all that it bears, I don't think you'd have a problem of wearing its traditional engagement ring."

She seemed to snap out of her stupor. To his surprise, her scowl was even fiercer than before. "Oh, is that was it is?" she asked silkily. "You _threw_ my engagement ring at me?"

He realized his mistake and hastily attempted to correct it. "I've been carrying it on me for a long time," he started.

At that, she recalled his earlier words. "You took it out the last time you were here? That was a whole year ago!"

"Did you think I wasn't ever going to marry you?" he retorted, beginning to get irritated himself. "Do you want to get married here or at the house?"

She nearly slapped him. "You haven't even _asked_ me!"

"I'm asking right now!"

She smiled at his obvious frustration. The tips of his ears were red and she knew it wasn't because of the alcohol. He was embarrassed.

What a life they would have.

"So?" Sasuke demanded impatiently.

"Is it because I'm pregnant?" she asked suspiciously.

He covered his eyes with his free hand, a clear sign that he was well and truly annoyed with her. "For fuck's sake, woman," he muttered. "You weren't pregnant a year ago!"

She almost giggled as he glared at her.

"Well?"

"Uchiha Sasuke," she said, grinning. "Love of my life, and the man I have resisted murdering so many times over the years, I do. Very, very much so!"

"Thank God." And then, to both of their surprises, Sasuke began to laugh.

* * *

When Sakura was twelve and still a stranger to the horrors the world could bring, she had pictured her wedding day in all of the glory only a starry-eyed child could. She had imagined a bright spring day filled with the sweet scent of blooming flowers and her namesake's petals littering the floor. She had pictured her mother and Ino helping her prepare for the ceremony with tears in their eyes and happy smiles on their faces. She had imagined a huge wedding, with hundreds of guests and an extravagant string quartet playing beautiful music after beautiful music.

And she had pictured her husband, dark-eyed and incredibly handsome, standing next to her with a gentle smile on his face and love in his eyes as they were named man and wife.

Now, years later, she was no longer that naïve child. She had seen the ugliness of the world—but she had seen its beauty, as well. She had fought, she had killed, she had won, and she had lost. But more importantly, she had loved.

She still loved.

The private ceremony in the Hokage's chamber was nothing like the elaborate wedding she had imagined, but it was fitting, she believed. The room was crammed with the people that played important roles in their lives at some point or another. The former Konoha Eleven, along with Yamato and Sai, lined one side of the room, while Sakura's parents huddled with Tsunade, Jiraiya and Shizune at another. Sakura's mother, who had come to adore the man who made her only daughter so happy, had shed tears as she and Ino helped Sakura into her simple wedding kimono.

It wasn't the wedding she had pictured, but Sakura didn't mind. The people she cared about were here and she had the man she had dreamed of standing beside her, a gentle smile on his face and love apparent in his eyes.

As Kakashi's voice filled the quiet room, Sakura stared into Sasuke's dark eyes and deemed that this was the most perfect wedding ceremony she could ever imagine. Behind the two of them, Naruto stood with a proud grin, a best friend and best man to them both.

And then Sakura took a sip of sake from the cup Sasuke held out to her, careful to drink only a little, and just like that, they were married.

Sakura's eyes widened as applause filled the room. They were married!

Naruto, of course, was the first to congratulate them. "Finally!" he crowed, throwing his arms around the both of them. "You finally made an honest woman out of her, teme. A few more months and I was going to lose some serious cash!"

Sakura's pink brows snapped together as she understood his meaning. "You bet on us?" she demanded incredulously.

"It was Baa-chan's idea," he protested, carefully inching backwards. "We had a three-year-above-under agreement. Ha! Looks like you get to keep your losing streak, Baa-chan!"

Tsunade, who was talking to the Harunos, retorted in a way that made Naruto stare back at her with horror. "You led a village with that mouth, Baa-chan?" he gasped dramatically.

"I'm not the Hokage anymore, you stupid boy—I can do whatever I want!"

"I still don't get why you guys were rushing," Naruto said after the guests had finished congratulating the newlyweds and were leaving the room to go to the wedding breakfast Ino had hastily set up. "You could have waited and have a better ceremony."

Sakura shook her head. "No, this was lovely as it is. My mother and Ino did a wonderful job, considering the short notice."

"That's my point. If you guys had waited . . ."

Sasuke and Sakura exchanged a look, and when Sasuke nodded, Sakura covered her best friend's hand with hers. "Would you like to be a godfather or just an honorary uncle, Naruto?" she asked gently.

Blue eyes widened as Naruto understood the question. Then his eyes all but disappeared as he gave the biggest grin. "Hell, I'll be both!" he exclaimed, moving to embrace her. "Your kid is gonna need a fun male figure in his life," he added, shooting Sasuke a teasing glance over her head.

"_Kids_," Sasuke corrected smugly.

"Twins?" Naruto gaped. "Jeez, teme, you really _are_ an overachiever!"

"Hey!" Sakura lightly punched him in the shoulder. "I had a hand in it, too—maybe even more so. My grandmother Kana is a twin."

Naruto looked properly horrified at that information. He had met Sakura's maternal grandmother, who lived in a nearby village, several years ago and had been severely scarred by the meeting. Between her cussing and downright scariness, the spry old lady also had the tendency to pinch his butt whenever he was near.

"You mean there's _two_ of them?" he asked, aghast.

Sakura's mother, who had overheard the conversation, leaned in and fixed Naruto with a stern gaze. "Is there something wrong with that, Naruto-kun?" she asked in a sweet voice.

The blond shook his head furiously. "O-of course not, Mama Haruno! You're all lovely ladies!" he nearly shouted. When the older woman seemed satisfied and walked off with her husband, Naruto took a step closer to Sasuke and whispered _sotto voce_, "Be careful, bastard. Papa Haruno told me that Sakura's _just_ like her mother and grandmother when they were younger."

It took all of his famous Uchiha dignity to not shudder.

* * *

The wedding breakfast was attended by more guests, and Ichiban Ramen, which had expanded into a restaurant over the years, had to be closed down for the party. Ino had initially suggested a more expensive and classier restaurant, but Sakura had been adamant about the famous ramen place, much to Naruto's delight.

Despite the early hour of the day, alcohol flowed freely and the guests repeatedly toasted the newlyweds, wishing them a long and happy life. Sakura, who pretended to drink her sake, ignored the knowing glances Ino shot her way. The blonde kunoichi was not yet privy to the news of Sakura's pregnancy, an issue Sakura knew she had to correct soon before Ino started to pout.

Sitting at a table decorated with the fresh and beautiful flowers specially provided from Yamanaka Flower Shop, Sakura glanced at her husband. She appreciated the effort he was making, knowing how uncomfortable he was with so many people around, and with being in Konoha. Most of the guests in turn were also weary of him, not really knowing what to make of the once missing-nin. Patience, Sakura knew. It would take a lot of patience and a lot of time from either party before the situation would become better. For now, she was deeply grateful to both groups, knowing that they were making an effort because of her.

Soon, the guests had to leave. Sakura and Sasuke stood up to receive the well wishes and made promises—or at least she did—to meet up again before they leave the village.

"And then there were four," Naruto announced when the place emptied out save for him, the newlyweds, and the new Hokage, who had ordered his personal guard to wait outside.

"Six," Sakura corrected, patting her tummy.

"I still can't believe you're pregnant," Naruto said, shaking his head in amazement. "Soon, there'll be mini-Sasukes running around." He blanched. "Or Sakuras. I'm praying for mini-Sakuras. Wait, that means they'll have her temper. And Granny Kana's grabby hands. I take it back. But wait! What if—"

"I'd shut up now if I were you," Kakashi said sagely.

"Shutting up."

Kakashi smiled underneath his mask and turned to his the pink-haired bride, who still giving her blond friend the evil-eye. "Are you sure I can't persuade you to stay on and join my new council?"

Successfully distracted from any intention to maim, Sakura shook her head. "Sorry, Kakashi-sensei. I want my kids to grow up at home." The last word slipped easily from her tongue; home was no longer Konoha, but the several acres of land she shared with her husband. Her _husband_. That was a word that would also easily become a part of her vocabulary.

"What about when they're older?" Naruto wanted to know. "With the two of you as parents, they're bound to inherit a lot a chakra."

Sakura's eyes widened. She hadn't thought about it, but she realized now that her children would be the first Uchihas in history to have a civilian life. Eyebrows high, she turned to her husband with a questioning look.

He shrugged. "Whatever they choose to be, it will be what they want. Sakura and I will of course teach them to defend themselves, but if they choose to lead a civilian life, then we'll support it no matter what. I just want them to be . . . happy."

Kakashi and Naruto gazed at him with surprised expressions, but Sakura merely continued to smile, reaching over to cover his hand with hers. "What a wonderful idea," she murmured. Should they choose to be shinobi, her children would serve Konoha. With Kakashi as a leader, she knew they wouldn't have to go through what Sasuke went through. But if they chose to open a shop or become a merchant, neither she nor Sasuke would rebuke them. They would have a choice. They would be free.

She couldn't be happier.

**The End.**

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That's it. I started _A Full Circle_ two years ago (and then _stopped _writing for nearly two years before I decided to get back on the fanfiction train), but I had no idea it would turn out this way. Thank you so much for your wonderful reviews. I may be tempted to return to this story (as it is, I already have several ideas concerning it), but until then, I'm working on my other new stories. I'll be posting the first chapter of my latest story, _The Fire Lord and His Lady_, in a few days on my blog and once I've come up with an appropriate title for my other new story, I'll post on Fanfiction as well. Keep a look out for them. I hope you'll enjoy them as much as you enjoyed _A Full Circle_.


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